• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.872-880
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• 2003

Three vectors, pSG1, 2, and 3, which facilitate in vivo expression technology (IVET) in Gram-negative bacteria, were developed. Vectors pSG1and 2 are derivatives of ColE1, and pSG3 is a derivative of an R6K replicon. These vectors contain oriT sites that allow mobilization when the RK2 Tra functions are provided in trans. These vectors contain promoterless lacZ (pl-lacZ) and promoterless aph (pl-aph) transcriptionally fused together, which allow qualitative and quantitative measurements of the expression of genes in the genome of bacterial cells. pSG1 and 3 contain gentamicin-resistance genes, and pSG2 carries a streptomycin-/spectinomycin-resistance gene, allowing for selection of recombinants generated by a single crossover between a library fragment cloned into a pSG vector and the identical region in the genome of a bacterial species from which the library fragment originated. These vectors were successfully applied to the generation of random fusions at high rates in the genomes of four representative Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the expression level of ${\beta}-galactosidase$ and the degree of resistance to kanamycin in cells with fusions generated by these vectors were found to be linearly correlated, proving that these vectors can be used for IVET.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-helicobacter activity and anti-inflammatory activity of Angelica dahurica (AD). The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of AD against Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori), expression of the H. pylori cagA gene in the presence of AD was determined. Inhibition of H. pylori urease by AD, inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in AGS cells was measured. IL-8 mRNA expression in AGS cells which were infected with H. pylori and IL-8 level was measured. The MIC of MeOH Ex. of AD was $250{\mu}g/mL$ and the expression of cagA gene was decreased about 88% in the presence of AD. The activity of H. pylori urease was inhibited 70% by AD. mRNA expression of IL-8 and the production of NO and IL-8 were significantly decreased in the presence of AD. In conclusion, AD showed anti-Helicobacter activity and has potent anti-inflammatory effect on H. pylori-induced inflammation in human gastric epithelial AGS cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1430-1435
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• 2020

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has outstanding physical and chemical properties, including high crystallinity, moisture retention, and tensile strength. Currently, the major producer of BC is Komagataeibacter xylinus. However, due to limited tools of expression, this host is difficult to engineer metabolically to improve BC productivity. In this study, a regulated expression system for K. xylinus with synthetic ribosome binding site (RBS) was developed and used to engineer a BC biosynthesis pathway. A synthetic RBS library was constructed using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter, and three synthetic RBSs (R4, R15, and R6) with different strengths were successfully isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using synthetic RBS, we optimized the expression of three homologous genes responsible for BC production, pgm, galU, and ndp, and thereby greatly increased it under both static and shaking culture conditions. The final titer of BC under static and shaking conditions was 5.28 and 3.67 g/l, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that reinforced metabolic flux towards BC through quantitative gene expression represents a practical strategy for the improvement of BC productivity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2015

The etiology of periodontal disease is multifactorial. Exogenous stimuli such as bacterial pathogens can interact with toll-like receptors to activate intracellular calcium signaling in gingival epithelium and other tissues. The triggering of calcium signaling induces the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-8 as part of the inflammatory response; however, the exact mechanism of calcium signaling induced by bacterial toxins when gingival epithelial cells are exposed to pathogens is unclear. Here, we investigate calcium signaling induced by bacteria and expression of inflammatory cytokines in human gingival epithelial cells. We found that peptidoglycan, a constituent of grampositive bacteria and an agonist of toll-like receptor 2, increases intracellular calcium in a concentration-dependent manner. Peptidoglycan-induced calcium signaling was abolished by treatment with blockers of phospholipase C (U73122), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, indicating the release of calcium from intracellular calcium stores. Peptidoglycan-mediated interleukin-8 expression was blocked by U73122 and 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis (acetoxymethyl ester). Moreover, interleukin-8 expression was induced by thapsigargin, a selective inhibitor of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase, when thapsigargin was treated alone or co-treated with peptidoglycan. These results suggest that the gram-positive bacterial toxin peptidoglycan induces calcium signaling via the phospholipase C/inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate pathway, and that increased interleukin-8 expression is mediated by intracellular calcium levels in human gingival epithelial cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.415-424
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the global regulatory mechanism known as quorum sensing and expression of virulence factors in Escherichia coli O157:87. A nonpolar luxS deletion was introduced into the chromosome of strain CI03J, a human clinical isolate from South Korea, to create the ${\Delta}luxS$ mutant strain ML03J. Phenotypic characterization of wild-type and mutant strains demonstrated that ML03J had no obvious growth or metabolic defects on 0.2% glucose LB medium, produced a functionally defective flagellum, and could not utilize sorbose; the biological significance of sorbose utilization is unknown. Omics-based analysis revealed the involvement of LuxS in the transcriptional activation of several flagella/chemotaxisrelated genes (flhD; fliA, C, D, S, Z; and cheA, Y, Z), repression of glutamate-dependent acid resistance genes (gadAB), and expression of virulence factors including Shiga toxin, hemolysin, and SepD within the LEE pathogenicity island.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1088-1097
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• 2021

Grouper nervous necrosis virus (GNNV) infection causes mass grouper mortality, leading to substantial economic loss in Taiwan. Traditional methods of controlling GNNV infections involve the challenge of controlling disinfectant doses; low doses are ineffective, whereas high doses may cause environmental damage. Identifying potential methods to safely control GNNV infection to prevent viral outbreaks is essential. We engineered a virus-binding bacterium expressing a myxovirus resistance (Mx) protein on its surface for GNNV removal from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), thus increasing the survival of grouper fin (GF-1) cells. We fused the grouper Mx protein (which recognizes and binds to the coat protein of GNNV) to the C-terminus of outer membrane lipoprotein A (lpp-Mx) and to the N-terminus of a bacterial autotransporter adhesin (Mx-AIDA); these constructs were expressed on the surfaces of Escherichia coli BL21 (BL21/lpp-Mx and BL21/Mx-AIDA). We examined bacterial surface expression capacity and GNNV binding activity through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; we also evaluated the GNNV removal efficacy of the bacteria and viral cytotoxicity after bacterial adsorption treatment. Although both constructs were successfully expressed, only BL21/lpp-Mx exhibited GNNV binding activity; BL21/lpp-Mx cells removed GNNV and protected GF-1 cells from GNNV infection more efficiently. Moreover, salinity affected the GNNV removal efficacy of BL21/lpp-Mx. Thus, our GNNV-binding bacterium is an efficient microparticle for removing GNNV from 10‰ brackish water and for preventing GNNV infection in groupers.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.754-757
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• 2001

Expression of the vhb gene encoding bacterial hemoglobin (VHb) from Vitreoscilla has been used to improve recombinant cell growth and enhance product formation under microaerobic conditions because of its ability to enhance oxygen use. We coexpressed GFP and VHb in Escherichia coli BL21 and W3110, and compared with GFP control which was not expressed VHb. We used nar oxygen-dependent inducible promoter for VHb expression. The GFP amounts in E. coli expressed VHb was about five fold higher than in the control Fluorescence intensity was increased about two fold.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2001

To construct an efficient Bacillus subtilis expression vector, strong promoters were isolated from the chromosomal DNA libraries of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 4259, Thermoactinomyces sp. E79, and Bacillus thermoglucosidasius KCTC 3400. The $P_{C27}$ promoter cloned from the clostridial chromosmal DNA showed a 5-fold higher promoter strength than the $P_{SP02}$ promoter in the expression of the cat gene, and its sequence was estimated as an upstream region of the predicted hypothetical gene (tet-R family bacterial transcription regulator gene) in C. acetobutylicum. As a promoter element, $P_{C27}$ exhibited putative nucleotide sequences that can bind with bacterial RNAP and the 3'end of the 16S rRNA just upstream of the start codon. In addition, the promoter activity of $P_{C27}$ was distinctively repressed in the presence of glucose. Using $P_{C27}$ as the promoter element, a glucose controllable B. subtilis expression vector was constructed and the lipase gene from Staphylococcus haemolyticus KCTC 8957P was expressed in B. subtilis. When compared with the lipase expression by the T7 promoter induced by IPTG in E. coli, the $P_{C27}$ promoter showed about a 1.5-fold higher expression level in B. subtilis than that without induction.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Inter-cellular communication via diffusible small molecules is a defining character not only of multicellular forms of life but also of single-celled organisms. A large number of bacterial genes are regulated by the change of chemical milieu mediated by the local population density of its own species or others. The cell density-dependent "autoinducer" molecules regulate the expression of those genes involved in genetic competence, biofilm formation and persistence, virulence, sporulation, bioluminescence, antibiotic production, and many others. Recent innovations in recombinant DNA technology and micro-/nano-fluidics systems render the genetic circuitry responsible for cell-to-cell communication feasible to and malleable via synthetic biological approaches. Here we review the current understanding of the molecular biology of bacterial intercellular communication and the novel experimental protocols and platforms used to investigate this phenomenon. A particular emphasis is given to the genetic regulatory circuits that provide the standard building blocks which constitute the syntax of the biochemical communication network. Thus, this review gives focus to the engineering principles necessary for rewiring bacterial chemo-communication for various applications, ranging from population-level gene expression control to the study of host-pathogen interactions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.845-851
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• 2008

TolC is an outer membrane porin protein and an essential component of drug efflux and type-I secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. TolC comprises a periplasmic $\alpha$-helical barrel domain and a membrane-embedded $\beta$-barrel domain. TdeA, a functional and structural homolog of TolC, is required for toxin and drug export in the pathogenic oral bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. Here, we report the expression of the periplasmic domain of TdeA as a soluble protein by substitution of the membrane-embedded domain with short linkers, which enabled us to purify the protein in the absence of detergent. We confirmed the structural integrity of the TdeA periplasmic domain by size-exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, which together showed that the periplasmic domain of the TolC protein family fold correctly on its own. We further demonstrated that the periplasmic domain of TdeA interacts with peptidoglycans of the bacterial cell wall, which supports the idea that completely folded TolC family proteins traverse the peptidoglycan layer to interact with inner membrane transporters.