• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 1997

$\alpha$-Fetoprotein (AFP) has been a useful marker in screening and/or monitoring patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, gonadal germ cell tumor, gastric carcinoma and neural tube defects. In the present study, it was attempted to produce anti-human AFP polyclonal antibodies and to develop a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the measurement of AFP in human plasma and amniotic fluid. AFP was isolated from amniotic fluid using an isolation procedure consisting of affinity chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The antibody directed against AFP was raised in rabbits. Double immunodiffusion and Western blotting methods showed that the antiserum was highly specific, reacting with only AFP-containing samples. Standard curve was obtained by using purified AFP and specific antiserum. The assay sensitivity was 5ng/ml and the working range was 5~l,000ng/ml. The within-assay and between-assay coefficient of variance (CV) was 4.5% and 8.5%, respectively. These results indicate that the assay is valuable for the measurement of AFP and found to be simple, reproducible, and accurate.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1286-1295
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• 2008

Leptin is produced by adipocytes and its role in the regulation of lipid metabolism, feed intake, productive and reproductive performance of domestic animal species has been greatly stressed and extensively investigated in recent years. This study was conducted to develop a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the estimation of plasma bovine leptin and to determine plasma leptin concentration in fattening Japanese Black cattle (Wagyu) and its crossbreds at commercial farms. Relationships of plasma leptin with plasma vitamin A and age of crossbred cattle were also determined. Recombinant bovine leptin (rbleptin) was produced by the E. coli overexpressed leptin as a GST (glutathione S-transferase)-fusion protein. Then antiserum against bovine leptin was obtained by its immunization in rabbits. Using this antiserum, a bovine specific RIA was developed and plasma leptin level was determined in 120 crossbred fattening cattle (WagyuHolstein, 50:50) at commercial farms. The plasma leptin level increased with the age of cattle and its level was greater in the crossbred heifers than in the steers. Plasma vitamin A level was negatively correlated with plasma leptin level in crossbred heifers and steers. This relationship was stronger in heifers than in steers. Plasma leptin was gradually increased with advancing age in fattening Wagyu cattle. In conclusion, development of a bovine specific RIA to estimate plasma leptin will contribute to better understanding of the role of leptin in cattle.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 1998

HLA-DR4 is the dominant allele of MHC class II genes in Koreans. In particular, the $DRB1^*0405$ subtype has been reported to be almost exclusively expressed in Far East Asians, and has also been observed to be strongly associated with rheumatoid arthritis in Koreans and the Japanese. Identification of this specific allele has been mainly performed by PCR-based methods, which is often time consuming, costly, and involves tedious procedures such as the isolation of genomic DNA, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. To develop a more convenient tool for screening vast amounts of samples as well as to generate reagents which might also be used in other applications, in this study, antibodies were produced against this specific HLA subtype. By PCR, an allelespecific region covering the ${\beta}1$ domain of $DRB1^*0405$ was amplified and recombinantly expressed in E.coli. Immunization of Lewis rats with the purified protein yielded an allele specific antiserum. Western blot analysis showed the selective detection of the HLA-DR ${\beta}-chain$. Using this antiserum, established cell lines and peripheral blood lymphocytes were analyzed on their HLA haplotype by fluorescence activated flow cytometry. These novel antibodies will provide a powerful tool in the detection and investigation of DR4 alleles.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2000

US3 gene is a member of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate early gene. Although the precise functions of the US3 gene in HCMV replication and pathogenesis are not known, it has been reported to play a role in inhibiting major histocompatibility class I antigen presentation. For further knowledge of US3 gene expression, rabbit polyclonal antiserum of the US3 gene product was used for indirect immunofluorescence assay. In permissive human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells, US3 gene expression was detectable as crescent or half-moon shape in the perinuclear region at immediate early times after virus infection. HFF cells infected with mutant HCMV lacking US3 open reading frames were negative for US3 immunofluorescence assay. Double immunofluorescence assay using monoclonal antibody to gamma adaptin (specific for the Golgi complex) and rabbit anti-US3 antiserum revealed that US3 gene product could be localized to the Golgi complex. At later time after HCMV infection, US3 gene products were detected as globular aggregates in the cytosol. These aggregates were positive for gamma adaptin and stained with preimmune serum, suggesting a nonspecific reaction to the Golgi complex. Northern blot analysis revealed that transcription of US3 was observed only during immediate early times after virus infection (until 6 h postinfection). Therefore US3 gene expression appears to be confined to immediate early time and its gene products are localized to the Golgi complex as crescent shaped forms in the perinuclear cytoplasm.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.76-82
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• 1994

A competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was developed to detect and quantify levels of the fungicide metalaxyl in crops. Antiserum against metalaxyl was demonstrated in rabbits immunized with metalaxyl-human serum albumin(HSA) conjugate. Metalaxyl-protein conjugate was prepared by mixed anhydride and peptide coupling method with EDC. In this assay, metalaxyl-ovalbumin(OA) was $coated(8{\mu}g/ml)$ on the microtiter plate, which was incubated for 1 hr at $4^{\circ}C$ or 4 hr at $37^{\circ}C$ with diluted antiserum(1:2,000). The optimum volume ratio of antigen and antibody mixture was 0.5: 1, which was incubated for 1 hr at $20^{\circ}C$. The detection of metalaxyl bound on the surface of wells was determined by the reaction(30 min) of antirabbit Ig G-peroxidase conjugate with its substrate.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.121-125
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• 2002

This study was conducted to determine the causal virus that naturally infected hollyhock (Althaea rosea) plant showing mild mosaic symptom in 1999. Flexuous virus particles were found in the cytoplasm of plant tissue from infected hollyhock under transmissible electron microscopy. A virus from the genus Potyvirus under the family Potyviridae was isolated and was maintained on Chenopodium quinoa for three passages. Chlorotic local legions were used to inoculate 20 species of indicator plants. The virus infected all the tested cucurbit plants, but failed to infect Nicotiana benthamiana. Based on the host range test and RT-PCR analysis, the potyvirus was identified as a strain of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus-A (ZYMV-A), one of the major pathogens of cucurbits. Infectivity analysis showed that ZYMV-A induced faster systemic symptom than ZYMV-Cu on squash and other cucurbit plants, suggesting that ZYMV-A was a more severe strain. To better characterize ZYMV-A, Western blot assay was carried rout to the coat protein (CP) of the virus using ZYMV-specific antiserum with ZYMV-Cu and other potyviruses. The CP of the virus reacted strongly with the antiserum against ZYMV, and other tested antisera did not react with the CP of ZYMV-A. Results strongly suggest that the potyvirus infecting hollyhock was a novel strain of ZYMV. This is the first report on ZYMV as the causal virus infecting hollyhock in Korea.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.97-106
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• 1986

Authors studies on the isolation of V. vulnificus from sea water, sea mud fishes, shellfishes and algae at the seasides of Pusan, Masan, Chungmu and Ulsan in Korea in 1985. Authors carried out test for isolated strains to bacteriological test, hemolysis test about erythrocytes of various animal, sensitivity test of various chemotherapeutic agents and serological test with antiserum of V. vulnificus. The resultls obtained were as follows: 1. V. vulnificus was isolated 15 strains from 399 total specimens: 110 cases of sea water, 40 cases of sea mud, 90 cases of fishes, 60 cases of shellfishes and 79 cases of various algae, respectively. 2. Nine strains were isolalted from sea water, 4 strains were isolated from sea mud and 2 strains were isolated from fishes, respectively. 3. Two strains among 15 strains isolated were lactose positive reaction. 4. All strains isolated were grown in concentration of $0.5%{\sim}7.0%$ NaCl, but were not grown 0% and 8.0% NaCl. 5. Hemolysis reaction about various erythrocytes was sensitived to guinea pig, human and rabbit erythrocytes, but was not sensitived to sheep erythrocytes. 6. Sensitivity test using with chemotherapeutic agents of "BioLab" Microbial Sensitivity Test Discs were generally sensitived to amikacin, ampicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamycin, kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracyclin and tobramycin, and were moderate to penicillin, but were resistant to methicillin and lincomycin, respectively. 7. The distribution of serotypes of V. vulnificus isolated were on antiserum of $0.1{\sim}07$ of V. vulnificus: 1 case of 01 and 2 cases of 07, respectively.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.161-166
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• 2001

The storage proteins of the mulberry longicorn beetle, Apriona germari Hope, were purified and characterized. Three kinds of storage protein (SP1, SP2 and Sp3) were purified from the last instar larval hemolymph of A. germari by the FPLC techniques, anion exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. The SP1, SP2 and SP3 have a native molecular weight of 480, 440 and 420 kDa, respectively. In the SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, these storage proteins are composed of a single protein subunit with molecular weight of 90, 85 and 80 kDa, respectively. This result showed that the storage proteins are hexameric protein. The SP1 and SP2 were stained with Schiffs reagent, but SP3 was not stained. It can be assumed that SP1 and SP2 are glycoprotein. Western blot analyses using the each of polyclonal antiserum against purified SP1, SP2 and SP3 showed that the three antibodies reacted with the each of SP bands, respectively. Also, antibodies against SP1 and SP3 cross-reacted with the SP3 and SP1, respectively. However, SP2 was not cross-reacted with these two antibodies. Also, antiserum against SP2 did not cross-reacted with the SP1 and SP3.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2001

The vitellin of firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa, is composed of three polypeptides, designated Vn1 (175 kDa), Vn2 (160 kDa) and Vn3 (45 kDa) in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three subunits of vitellin were presented in the female adult hemolymph, ovary and egg extracts, but not observed in the male. This vitellin was purified from the eggs of P. rufa by the FPLC techniques, anion exchange chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. In nature, vitellin of P. rufa has molecular weight of 400 kDa. Western blot analysis using polyclonal antiserum against purified vitellin showed that the antiserum was reacted with the three polypeptides, Vnl, Vn2 and Vn3 from the female adult hemolymph, ovary and egg extracts. Amino acid residues at N-terminus of three subunits were sequenced. The N-terminal sequences of large subunits, Vnl and Vn2, were similar to each other, But, the N-terminal sequences of small subunits Vn3, did not have any signnificant homology with large subunits.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2002

Pneumococcal surfacce protein A (PspA) is an important virulence factor and an antigenically variable surface protein of the pneumococci. To purify the PspA from S. pneumoniae KNIH1156 , a clinical isolate (type 19F), we have taken advantage of the fact that PspA is released from the surface of pneumococci into the medium by growing in a CDM-ET medium and PspA is capable of binding human lactoferrin, the iron carrier protein. PspA of S. pneumoniae KNIH1156 was purified from culture supernatant by human lactoferrin (hLf) affinity chromatography. The purified PspA was confirmed with anti-PspA antiserum and also had the binding capacity to hLf specifically. To determine whether the purified PspA could elicit protection in mice against pneumococcal inflection, we immunized the mice with purified PspA and subsequently challenged with S. pneumoniae KNIH1156. Immunization with purified PspA protected mice from 500 times the $LD^{50}$ of S. pneumoniae KNIH1156. Therefore, it has been shown that purified PspA fromS. pneumoniae KNIH1156 (type 19F) is a protective immunogen.