• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

Understanding salt tolerance mechanisms is important for the increase of crop yields, and so, several screening approaches were developed to identify plant genes which are involved in salt tolerance of plants. Here, we transformed the Arabidopsis cDNA library into a salt-sensitive calcineurin (CaN)-deficient ($cnb{\Delta}$) yeast mutant and isolated the colonies which can suppress salt-sensitive phenotype of $cnb{\Delta}$ mutant. Through this functional complementation screen, a total of 34 colonies functionally suppressed the salt-sensitive phenotype of $cnb{\Delta}$ yeast cells, and sequencing analysis revealed that these are 9 genes, including CaS, AtSUMO1 and AtHB-12. Among these genes, the ectopic expression of CaS gene increased salt tolerance in yeast, and CaS transcript was up-regulated under high salinity conditions. CaS-antisense transgenic plants showed reduced root elongation under 100 mM NaCl treatment compared to the wild type plant, which survived under 150 mM NaCl treatment, whereas CaS-antisense transgenic plant leaves turned yellow under 150 mM NaCl treatment. These results indicate that the expression of CaS gene is important for stress tolerance in yeast and plants.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1001-1008
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• 1996

Staphylococcal food poisoning is the major cause of bacterial food poisoning occurring in this country. Therefore government regulates commercial foods through Official Dictionary of Food that there should be free of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in Korean rice cakes, bread, and a box lunch. Since at least 5 days are required to identify the S. aureus by the official method in the Dictionary it is difficult to prevent the food poisoning and the investigation of the outbreaks. In this report an improved determination method of the S. aureus has been developed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Sense and antisense primers for specific amplification of genes encoding staphylococcal enterotoxins were designed and synthesized for the PCR. Rapid chromosomal DNA isolation method was also developed from S. aureus using lysostaphin. The PCR condition was developed as follows. Reaction solution $(50\;{\mu}l)$ consisted of target DNA $2\;{\mu}l$ (about 20ng), 10X buffer $5\;{\mu}l$, primer 100pmole, dNTP (10 mM) $4\;{\mu}l$ and Taq DNA polymerase 2.5 unit in a thin-wall tube. Operation condition of the PCR was 5 min pre-denaturation at $94^{\circ}C$, 15 sec denaturation at $94^{\circ}C$, 15 sec annealing at $50^{\circ}C$, 20 sec extension at $72^{\circ}C$, and 5 min post-extension at $72^{\circ}C$, and 30 cycles of denaturation-annealing- extension. Using the PCR with Perkin Elmer GeneAmp PCR system 2400, types of enterotoxigenic S. aureus could be identified from Ddok or bread in a day.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2006

Cationic liposome has been studied as one of the most promising non-viral gene delivery systems. In this report, we describe a new synthesized cholesterolic cationic lipid (2-aminoethylcarbamate-cholesterol) and dioleylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) improve the cellular uptake properties of antisense ODNs, as well as plasmid DNA with low toxicity. This formulation of cholesterolic cationic lipid termed Chol-E, efficiently transfects ODNs and plasmids into many cell types in the presense or absence of 10% serum in the medium.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.451-455
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• 2017

Echinostoma cinetorchis is an oriental intestinal fluke causing significant pathological damage to the small intestine. The aim of this study was to determine a full-length cDNA sequence of E. cinetorchis endoribonuclease (RNase H; EcRNH) and to elucidate its molecular biological characters. EcRNH consisted of 308 amino acids and showed low similarity to endoribonucleases of other parasites (<40%). EcRNH had an active site centered on a putative DDEED motif instead of DEDD conserved in other species. A recombinant EcRNH produced as a soluble form in Escherichia coli showed enzymatic activity to cleave the 3'-O-P bond of RNA in a DNA-RNA duplex, producing 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate. These findings may contribute to develop antisense oligonucleotides which could damage echinostomes and other flukes.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.259-268
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• 2000

Senescence is a sequence of biochemical and physiological events that lead to death of a cell, organ, or whole organism. Senescence is now clearly regarded as a genetically determined and evolutionarilly acquired developmental process comprising the final stage of development. However, in spite of the biological and practical importance, genetic mechanism of senescence has been very limited. Through forward and reverse genetic approaches, we are trying to reveal the molecular and genetic mechanism of senescence in plants, employing leaf organs of Arabidopsis as a model system. Using forward genetic approach, we have initially isolated several delayed senescence mutants either from T-DNA insertional lines or chemical-mutagenized lines. In the case of ore 4 and ore 9 mutants, the mutated genes were identified. The recent progress on characterization of mutants and identification of the mutated genes will be reported. We are also screening mutations from other various sources of mutant pools, such as activation tagging lines and promoter trap lines. Two dominant senescence-delayed mutants were isolated from the activation tagging pool. Cloning of the genes responsible for this phenotype is in progress. For reverse genetic approach, the genes that induced during leaf senescence were first isolated by differential screening method. We are currently using PCR-based suppression subtractive hybridization, designed to enrich a cDNA library for rare differentially expressed transcripts. Using this method, we have identified over 35 new sequences that are upregulated at leaf senescence stage. We are investigating the function of these novel genes by systemically generating antisense lines.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2007

The sprC gene encodes Streptomyces griseus protease C (SGPC), a bacterial chymotrypsin-like serine protease. Because the published data on sprC was not complete, we cloned and analyzed a new DNA fragment spanning downstream to upstream of the sprC gene from S. griseus IFO13350. The cloned 2.3-kb DNA fragment was placed on a high-copy number plasmid and introduced into Streptomyces lividans TK24. Chymotrypsin activity of the transformant was 8.5 times higher than that of the control after 3 days of cultivation and stably maintained until 9 days of cultivation, which dearly indicated that the cloned 2.3-kb fragment contained the entire sprC gene with its own promoter. When the same construct was introduced in the S. griseus IFO13350 (wild strain) and its two mutant strains in the A-factor regulatory cascade, ${\Delta}adpA$ and HO1, the chymotrypsin activity increased fivefold only in the ${\Delta}adpA$ strain. Transcriptional analysis based on RT-PCR revealed that the sprC gene is normally transcribed in both strains; however, earlier transcription was observed in the wild strain compared with the ${\Delta}adpA$ strain. A gel mobility shift assay showed that the AdpA protein did not bind to the promoter region of sprC. All these data clearly indicate that the expression of sprC is not dependent on the AdpA protein, but is distinctly regulated from other chymotrypsin genes composing an AdpA regulon. Earlier morphological differentiation was observed in S. lividans TK24, and S. griseus IFO13350 and HO1, transformed with the expression vector. The transformant of S. griseus ${\Delta}adpA$ formed markedly larger colonies. Antisense repression of sprC resulted in severe decrease of chymotrypsin activity, down to one-third of the control, and delayed morphological differentiation. All these data suggest that SGPC is related to normal morphogenesis in S. griseus.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.319-329
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• 1999

Onset of female puberty follows a series of prepubertal cellular and molecular events including changes of synaptic plasticity, synthetic and releasing activity and gene expression. Dramatic increase of gonadal steroid level is one of the most prominent changes before the onset of puberty. Based on the importance of steroid feedback upon the hypothalamus, we adopted an estrogen sterilized rat (ESR) model where 100 ng of 17$\eta$-estradiol were administered into neonatal pubs for 7 days after birth. To identify genes involved in the onset of female puberty, we applied PCR differential display using RNA samples derived from ESR and control rat hypothalami. About 100 out of more than 1000 RNA species examined displayed differential expression patterns between a 60-day old control rat and ESR. Sequence analysis of differentially amplified PCR products showed homology with genes such as mouse kinesin superfamily-associated protein 3 (KAP3) and several cDNAs previously described by others in mouse and human tissues. Several gene products such as 2-1 and 8-1 corresponded to novel DNA sequences. We analyzed mRNA levels of KAP3, 2-1 and 8-1 genes in the hypothalami derived from neonatal, 6-, 28-, 31-, and 40-day old rats. Northern blot analysis showed that mRNAs of KAP3, 2-1 and 8-1 genes were markedly increased before the initiation of puberty. Neonatal treatment of estrogen clearly inhibited prepubertal increases in KAP3, 2-1 and 8-1 mRNA levels. Therefore, these genes may play important roles in the initiation of hypothalamic puberty. In addition, intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of antisense KAP3 oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) clearly delayed puberty initiation determined by vaginal opening, which further confirmed that KAP3 plays an important role in the regulation of puberty initiation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.545-551
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• 2009

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) affect the activation of activator protein-1 (AP-1), which plays an important role in regulating a range of cellular processes. However, the roles of these signaling factors on hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced cell death are unclear. This study examined the effects of $H_2O_2$ on the activation of MAPK and AP-1 by exposing the cells to $H_2O_2$ generated by either glucose oxidase or a bolus addition. Exposing BJAB or Jurkat cells to $H_2O_2$ affected the activities of MAPK differently according to the method of $H_2O_2$ exposure. $H_2O_2$ increased the AP-1-DNA binding activity in these cells, where continuously generated $H_2O_2$ led to an increase in mainly the c-Fos, FosB and c-Jun proteins. The c-Jun-$NH_2$-terminal kinase (JNK)-mediated activation of c-Jun was shown to be related to the $H_2O_2$-induced cell death. However, the suppression of $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress by either JNK inhibitor or c-Jun specific antisense transfection was temporary in the cells exposed to glucose oxidase but not to a bolus $H_2O_2$. This was associated with the disruption of death signaling according to the severe and prolonged depletion of reduced glutathione. Overall, these results suggest that $H_2O_2$ may decide differently the mode of cell death by affecting the intracellular redox state of thiol-containing antioxidants, and this depends more closely on the duration exposed to $H_2O_2$ than the concentration of this agent.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.9-14
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• 1999

Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 adenosine deaminase(ADA) gene was cloned by the polymerase chain reaction and deduced the amino acid sequence of the enzyme. DNA sequence homology of Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 ADA gene was compared to those of E. coli, human and mouse ADA genes. Unambiguous sequence from both strands of pM21 was obtained for the region believed to encode ADA. The sequence included a 804-nucleotide open reading frame, bounded on one end by sense primer and on the other end by two antisense primer. This open reading frame encodes a protein of 268 amino acids having a molecular weight of 29,448. The deduced amino acid sequence shows considerable similarity to those of E. coli, mouse and human ADA. Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 nucleotide sequence shows 98.5% homology with that of the E. coli ADA sequence and 51.7% homology with that of the mouse ADA sequence and 52.5% homology with that of the human ADA sequence. The ADA protein sequence of Pseudomonas iodinum IFO 3558 shows 96.9% homology with that of the E. coli and 40.7% homology with that of the mouse and 41.8% homology with that of the human. The distance between two of the conserved elements, TVHAGE and SL(1)NTDDP has veen exactly conserved at 76 amino acids for all four ADAs. Two of the four conserved sequence elements shared among the four ADAs are also present in the yeast, rat, human (M), and Human(L) AMP deaminase. The SLSTDDP sequence differs only in the conservative substitution of a serine for an asparagine. A conserved cysteine with conserved spacing between these two regions is also found. Thus, sequence analysis of four ADAs and four AMP deaminases revealed the presence of a highly conserved sequence motif, SLN(S)TDDP, a conserved dipeptide, HA, and a conserved cysteine residue.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2001

Objective : Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein adds telomere repeats to the ends of telomeres to compensate for the progressive loss. A favorable prognosis associated with low or no telomerase activity in some tumors, and cells transfected with antisense human telomerase lost telomeric repeats and die. We studied about the relationship between telomerase activity and apoptosis in the human brain tumors. Material and Methods : Between July 1998 and December 1999, 62 patients with brain tumors underwent surgery and their surgical specimens were obtained. Telomerase activity was investigated by telomeric repeats amplification protocol(TRAP) assay. Apoptosis was also evaluated by DNA fragmentation analysis. Differences and correlation in data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon-signed rank test. Results : Expression rate of telomerase activity and apoptosis were 80% and 30% in malignant gliomas, 33% and 0% in low grade gliomas, 63% and 38% in meningiomas, 67% and 33% in pituitary adenomas, 33% and 33% in metastatic tumors, 67% and 17% in acoustic neurinomas, 100% and 100% in pineoblastomas, 100% and 0% in the hemangioblastoma, respectively. There was no significant difference of telomerase activity and apoptosis between histological types. But a significant difference was noted in the expression of telomerase activity between malignant gliomas and low grade gliomas(p = 0.022). Brain tumors with telomerase activity expressed the lower rate of apoptosis. A significant correlation was also found between telomerase activity and absence of apoptosis in the human brain tumors(p = 0.005). Conclusions : Our data suggests that telomerase may protect from apoptosis of the human brain tumors and also may play an important role in the biological malignancy of the gliomas.