• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2005

Although pneumococcus is one of the most frequently encountered opportunistic pathogen in the world, the mechanisms responsible for its infectiveness have not yet been fully understood. In this paper, we have attempted to characterize the effects of pneumococcal transformation on the pathogenesis of the organism. We constructed three transformation-deficient pneumococcal strains, which were designated as Nos. 1d, 2d, and 22d. The construction of these altered strains was achieved via the insertion of the inactivated gene, comE, to strains 1, 2 and 22. We then conducted a comparison between the virulence of the transformation-deficient strains and that of the wild-type strains, via an evaluation of the ability of each strain to adhere to endothelial cells, and also assessed psaA mRNA expression, and the survival of hosts after bacterial challenge. Compared to what was observed with the wild-type strains, our results indicated that the ability of all of the transformation-deficient strains to adhere to the ECV304 cells had been significantly reduced (p < 0.05), the expression of psaA mRNA was reduced significantly (p < 0.05) in strains 2d and 22d, and the median survival time of mice infected with strains Id and 2d was increased significantly after intraperitoneal bacterial challenge (p < 0.05). The results of our study also clearly indicated that transformation exerts significant effects on the virulence characteristics of S. pneumoniae, although the degree to which this effect is noted appears to depend primarily on the genetic background of the bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.61-64
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• 2001

Delta-integration vectors were constructed for the purpose of achieving homologous integration of the hirudin expression cassette into the chromosome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A double $\delta$ system truncated with the unnecessary bacterial genes, and consequently having a reduced insert size for integration, showed a four-fold increase in transformation efficiency at given DNA concentrations, and as a result, the constructed recombinant yeast strain had a 1.3-fold enhancement in hirudin expression level compared with a single $\delta$ system.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.263-270
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• 2006

Pongamia pinnata Pierre is a tree legume, having potential in production of raw material for biodiesel. A protocol for in wk propagation of this plant was standardized using seedling explants. Growth regulators (GR) including gibberellic acid $(GA_3),\;N^6-benzylaminopurine(BA)$, thidiazuron (TDZ), and Adenine sulphate (Ads) were tested for optimum germination of seeds. Removal of seed coat prior to germination, controlled fungal growth partially but enhanced bacterial growth. Antibiotic cefotaxime was ineffective in controlling bacterial contamination. Seedling derived nodal explants and cotyledon nodes with attached cotyledons were excised and cultured for induction of shoots. Optimum sprouting and multiplication of shoot buds were obtained in MS medium supplemented with $8.88{\mu}M$ BA. These buds differentiated and rooted on medium devoid of GR. Optimum growth of Pongamia seedling was obtained in cotton plugged culture vessels. Reculturing of the cotyledon node explants produced more shoots from the same site. This process of removing shoots and reculturing of cotyledon node was followed for eight passages yielding 4 to 8 shoots in each cycle. The shoots (75%) rooted on half strength MS basal medium supplemented with 0.22% charcoal. All plants survived on transfer to soil. This is the first report on in vitro regeneration of Pongamia pinnata. This report demonstrates the possibility of coupling more than one parameter in single experiment to hasten the process of standardization. The process of cycling the nodal explant repeatedly for production of large number of shoots from single meristem may find application in genetic transformation experiments wherein meristems are used for transformation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.684-689
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• 2012

In the present study, an efficient mercury-tolerant bacterial strain (RS-5) was isolated from heavy-metalcontaminated industrial effluent. Under shake flask conditions, 97% of the supplemented mercuric chloride was sequestered by the biomass of RS-5 grown in a tryptone soy broth. The sequestered mercuric ions were transformed inside the bacterial cells, as an XRD analysis of the biomass confirmed the formation of mercurous chloride, which is only feasible following the reaction of the elemental mercury and the residual mercuric chloride present within the cells. Besides the sequestration and intracellular transformation, a significant fraction of the mercury (63%) was also volatilized. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of RS-5 revealed its phylogenetic relationship with the family Bacillaceae, and a 98% homology with Lysinibacillus fusiformis, a Gram-positive bacterium with swollen sporangia. This is the first observation of the sequestration and volatilization of mercuric ions by Lysinibacillus sp.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.454-459
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• 1990

For the genetic multipurpose of antagonistic abilities of Pseudomom etutzeri YPL-1 aganist Fusarium solani causing root rot of many important crops by genetic engineering, optimal conditions for transformation of P-stutzeri YPL-1 by pKT230 were investigated. Maxium frequency of the transformation was achieved when cells were harvested at early exponential growth phase. The highest transformation efficiency was obtained when the competent cells were exposed to chilled transformation buffer containing 20 mM RbCI, 100 mM $CaCl_2$ and added l${\mu}g$/ml of plasmid DNA. The pH optimum for transformation was 6.5. When the bacterial cells that were incubated during 60 minutes for the competence were brought in contact with plasmid DNA, the transformations were obtained in the best frequency. It was formed that transformation frequency was 2 ~$6 \times 10^{-6}$ under the optimal conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.301-310
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• 2012

Prosopis juliflora and Parthenium hysterophorus are the two arid, exotic weeds of India that are characterized by distinct, profuse growth even in nutritionally poor soils and environmentally stressed conditions. Owing to the exceptional growth nature of these two plants, they are believed to harbor some novel bacterial communities with wide adaptability in their rhizosphere. Hence, in the present study, the bacterial communities associated with the rhizosphere of Prosopis and Parthenium were characterized by clonal 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The culturable microbial counts in the rhizosphere of these two plants were higher than bulk soils, possibly influenced by the root exudates of these two plants. The phylogenetic analysis of V1_V2 domains of the 16S rRNA gene indicated a wider range of bacterial communities present in the rhizosphere of these two plants than in bulk soils and the predominant genera included Acidobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteriodetes in the rhizosphere of Prosopis, and Acidobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Nitrospirae in the Parthenium rhizosphere. The diversity of bacterial communities was more pronounced in the Parthenium rhizosphere than in the Prosopis rhizosphere. This culture-independent bacterial analysis offered extensive possibilities of unraveling novel microbes in the rhizospheres of Prosopis and Parthenium with genes for diverse functions, which could be exploited for nutrient transformation and stress tolerance in cultivated crops.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 2016

In this study, routinely used transformation method, which includes transferring explants onto co-cultivation medium after inoculating them with bacterial solution for a while, was compared with 3 different inoculation methods. In every 3 methods, hypocotyl explants excised from 7-day-old sterile flax seedlings having cotyledon leaves and no root system dried under air flow in sterile cabin for 35 min were inoculated with different volumes of bacterial solution at different inoculation periods. GV2260 line of Agrobacterium tumefaciens having 'pBIN 19' plasmid containing npt II (neomycin phosphotransferase II) gene and GUS reporter gene was used in transformation studies. After inoculation, hypocotyl segments of seedlings (0.5 cm in length) - were excised and left to co-cultivation for 2 days. Then, explants were transferred to regeneration medium supplemented with different antibiotics. The presence of npt-II and GUS genes in transformants was confirmed by PCR and GUS analysis. The highest results in all characters examined in all cultivars were obtained from the 2 inoculation method in which hypocotyls excised from seedlings inoculated with $500{\mu}l$ of bacterial solution after drying in sterile cabin for 35 min were used.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 1995

Several factors affecting on transformation efficiency were studied to establish a Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated system for the transformation of Populus species, and We could obtaine tansgenic plantlets expressing the introduced gene. Leaf sections were more sensitive than stem sections to kanamycin and thought to be better material for transformant screening. The bacterial density did not affect on the efficiency of transformation over the range of $4{\times}10^5{\sim}7{\times}10^9\;cfu$. The optimum period for co-cultivation was one day or shorter. Both of the optimum concentrations of cefotaxime and ampicillin in the medium were $250\;{\mu}g/ml$ for elimination of bacteria from the inoculated leaf sections. The addition of acetosyringone in the bacterial culture medium increased transformation rate, and the highest rate was obtained at $50\;{\mu}M$ of acetosyringone. The transformed galls could be selectively induced and gown on the growth regulator-free medium or on the medium containing $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ or higher contrition of kanamycin. The roots were induced from the galls incited by A. rhizogenes within 3 weeks on the growth regulator-free medium as well as on the medium containing growth regulators. The plantlets were regenerated from the galls cultured for 6 weeks on the medium containing 0.05 mg/ml of NAA and 0.5 mg/ml of BA. The expressions of the introduced opine gene in the transformed galls and plantlets were confirmed by the analysis of agropine and mannopine.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2003

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) with strain LBA 4404 containing a rice thaumatin-like protein gene is described. The selectable markers used were phosphinothricin acetyltransferase and hygromycin phosphotransferase genes. Epicotyl explants from seedlings were precultured for 5-7 days on Murashige and Skoog medium with ${\alpha}$-naphthaleneacetic acid and 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid at 10 ${\mu}$M and 9 ${\mu}$M, respectively (ND medium), prior to Agrobacterium infection. The explants were immersed in a bacterial suspension for 20 min. A post-infection co-culture period of 3-4 days was provided on ND medium. Selection for transformed calli was conducted on ND medium with 20 mg/L phosphinothricin followed by 100 mg/L hygromycin over an 8-month period. it transformation frequency of 24.8% was achieved at the callusing phase. The presence of the transgenes in calli was confirmed by Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction analysis. The expression of the thaumatin-like protein gene in ginseng calli was demonstrated by Western blot analysis. Somatic embryos were produced from both transgenic calli and suspension cultures, and plantlets were recovered that expressed the transgenic thaumatin-like protein gene.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.61-73
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• 2022

In this study, we developed a reliable and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system by applying sonication and vacuum infiltration to six chickpea cultivars (ICCV2, ICCV10, ICCV92944, ICCV37, JAKI9218, and JG11) using embryo axis explants. Wounded explants were precultured for 3 days in shoot induction medium (SIM) before sonication and vacuum infiltration with an Agrobacterium suspension and co-cultivated for 3 days in co-cultivation medium containing 100 µM/l of acetosyringone and 200 mg/l of L-cysteine. Responsive explants with putatively transformed shoots were selected using a gradual increase in kanamycin from 25 mg/l to 100 mg/l in selection medium to eliminate escapes. Results showed optimal transformation efficiency at a bacterial density of 1.0, an optical density at 600 nm wavelength (OD₆₀₀), and an infection duration of 30 min. The presence and stable integration of the β-glucuronidase (gusA) gene into the chickpea genome were confirmed using GUS histochemical assay and polymerase chain reaction. A high transformation efficiency was achieved among the different factors tested using embryo axis explants of cv. JAKI 9218. Of the six chickpea cultivars tested, JAKI9218 showed the highest transformation efficiency of 8.6%, followed by JG11 (7.2%), ICCV92944 (6.8%), ICCV37 (5.4%), ICCV2 (4.8%), and ICCV10 (4.6%). These findings showed that the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system will help transfer novel candidate genes into chickpea.