• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.97-104
• /
• 2008

Cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) is a key enzyme of phenylpropanoid pathway, which leads a variety of secondary metabolites to participate in differentiation and protection of plant against environmental stresses. In this study, we isolated a full-length cDNA of the C4H gene from a black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.), using a reverse transcriptase-PCR and rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR. The full-length cDNA of the RocC4H gene contained a 1,515 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 504 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of about 57.9 kDa and an isoelectric point (pI) value of 9.1. The genomic DNA analysis revealed that RocC4H gene had three exons and two introns. By multiple sequence alignment, RocC4H protein was highly homologous with other plant C4Hs, and the cytochrome P450-featured motifs, such as the heme-binding domain, the T-containing binding pocket motif (AAIETT), the ERR triad, and the tetrapeptide (PPGP) hinge motif, were highly conserved. Southern blot analysis revealed that RocC4H is a single copy gene in R. occidentalis.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.121-128
• /
• 2008

Flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H) is one of the key enzymes for the biosynthesis of flavonals, anthocyanins, catechins and proanthocyanins. F3H catalyzes the $3{\beta}$-hydroxylation of (2S)-flavonones to form (2R, 3R)-dihydroflavonols. In this report, we isolated a full-length cDNA of RocF3H from black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) using a reverse transcriptase-PCR and rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR. The full-length cDNA of RocF3H contains a 1,098 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 365 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of about 41.1 kDa and isoelectric point (pI) of 5.45. The genomic DNA analysis revealed that the RocF3H gene had three exons and two introns. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the RocF3H with other F3Hs revealed that the protein is highly homologous with various plant species. The conserved amino acids ligating the ferrous iron and the residues participating in the 2-oxoglutarate binding (R-X-S) were found in RocF3H at the similar positions to other F3Hs. Southern blot analysis indicated that RocF3H exist a multi-gene family. The isolation of RocF3H gene will be helpful to further study the role of F3H gene in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in R. occidnetalis.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.575-582
• /
• 2018

Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) caused by Acidovorax citrulli is a devastating disease found in many cucurbits cultivation fields. The genetic diversity for 29 strains of A. citrulli collected from various cucurbits in South Korea was determined by DNA fingerprinting with a pathogenicity test, multi locus analysis, Rep-PCR (repetitive sequence polymerase chain reaction), and URP (universal rice primers) PCR bands. Two distinct groups (Korean Clonal Complex, KCC1 and KCC2) in the population were identified based on group specific genetic variation in the multi locus phylogeny using six conserved loci and showed a very high similarity with DNA sequences for representative foreign groups [the group I (CC1-1 type) and the group II (CC2-5 type)] widely distributed worldwide, respectively. Additionally, in the case of phaC, a new genotype was found within each Korean group. The KCC1 was more heterogeneous compared to the KCC2. The KCC1 recovered mainly from melons and watermelons (ratio of 6 : 3) and 15 of the 20 KCC2 strains recovered from watermelons were dominant in the pathogen population. Accordingly, this study found that two distinct groups of differentiated A. citrulli exist in South Korea, genetically very similar to representative foreign groups, with a new genotype in each group resulting in their genetic diversity.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.56-66
• /
• 2019

Histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein (HINT) is a member of the histidine triad (HIT) superfamily, which has hydrolase activity owing to a histidine triad motif. The HIT superfamily can be divided to five classes with functions in galactose metabolism, DNA repair, and tumor suppression. HINTs are highly conserved from archaea to humans and function as tumor suppressors, translation regulators, and neuropathy inhibitors. Although the structures of HINT proteins from various species have been reported, limited structural information is available for fungal species. Here, to elucidate the structural features and functional diversity of HINTs, we determined the crystal structure of HINT from the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans (CaHINT) in complex with zinc ions at a resolution of $2.5{\AA}$. Based on structural comparisons, the monomer of CaHINT overlaid best with HINT protein from the protozoal species Leishmania major. Additionally, structural comparisons with human HINT revealed an additional helix at the C-terminus of CaHINT. Interestingly, the extended C-terminal helix interacted with the N-terminal loop (${\alpha}1-{\beta}1$) and with the ${\alpha}3$ helix, which appeared to stabilize the dimerization of CaHINT. In the C-terminal region, structural and sequence comparisons showed strong relationships among 19 diverse species from archea to humans, suggesting early separation in the course of evolution. Further studies are required to address the functional significance of variations in the C-terminal region. This structural analysis of CaHINT provided important insights into the molecular aspects of evolution within the HIT superfamily.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.201-209
• /
• 2019

Mixed lineage leukemia proteins (MLL) are the key histone lysine methyltransferases that regulate expression of diverse genes. Aberrant activation of MLL promotes leukemia as well as solid tumors in humans, highlighting the urgent need for the development of an MLL inhibitor. We screened and isolated MLL1-binding ssRNAs using SELEX (${\underline{S}}ystemic$ ${\underline{E}}volution$ of ${\underline{L}}igands$ by ${\underline{E}}xponential$ enrichment) technology. When sequences in sub-libraries were obtained using next-generation sequencing (NGS), the most enriched aptamers-APT1 and APT2-represented about 30% and 26% of sub-library populations, respectively. Motif analysis of the top 50 sequences provided a highly conserved sequence: 5'-A[A/C][C/G][G/U][U/A]ACAGAGGG[U/A]GG[A/C] GAGUGGGU-3'. APT1, APT2, and APT5 embracing this motif generated secondary structures with similar topological characteristics. We found that APT1 and APT2 have a good binding activity and the analysis using mutated aptamer variants showed that the site information in the central region was critical for binding. In vitro enzyme activity assay showed that APT1 and APT2 had MLL1 inhibitory activity. Three-dimensional structure prediction of APT1-MLL1 complex indicates multiple weak interactions formed between MLL1 SET domain and APT1. Our study confirmed that NGS-assisted SELEX is an efficient tool for aptamer screening and that aptamers could be useful in diagnosis and treatment of MLL1-mediated diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 2019

The spatial landmark protein Bud8 plays a crucial role in bipolar budding in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The unconventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica can also bud in a bipolar pattern, but is evolutionarily distant from S. cerevisiae. It encodes the protein YALI0F12738p, which shares the highest amino acid sequence homology with S. cerevisiae Bud8, sharing a conserved transmembrane domain at the C-terminus. Therefore, we named it YlBud8. Deletion of YlBud8 in Y. lipolytica causes cellular separation defects, resulting in budded cells remaining linked with one another as cell chains or multiple buds from a single cell, which suggests that YlBud8 may play an important role in cell separation, which is distinct from the function of Bud8 in S. cerevisiae. We also show that the YlBud8-GFP fusion protein is located at the cell membrane and enriched in the bud cortex, which would be consistent with a role in the regulation of cell separation. The coiled-coil domain at the N-terminus of YlBud8 is important to the correct localization and function of YlBud8, as truncated proteins that do not contain the coiled-coil domain cannot rescue the defects observed in $Ylbud8{\Delta}$. This finding suggests that a new signaling pathway controlled by YlBud8 via regulation of cell separation may exist in Y. lipolytica.

• Entomological Research
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.416-428
• /
• 2018

To gain an insight into the function of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in insects during thermal stress, three HSP cDNAs were identified in the transcriptome of adult Heortia vitessoides, one of the most destructive defoliating pests in Aquilaria sinensis (Loureiro) Sprenger forests. The open reading frames of HvHsp60, HvHsp70, and HvHsp90 were 1,719, 2,070, and 2,151 bp in length, respectively, and encoded proteins with molecular weights of 61.05, 75.02, and 82.23 kDa, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed that all three HSPs were highly conserved in structure. Regarding the stage-specific expression profiles, HvHsp60, HvHsp70, and HvHsp90 mRNAs were detected in all developmental stages. Regarding the tissue-specific expression profiles, the expression levels of the three HSP genes were different in various larval and adult tissues. Moreover, the expression patterns of heat-stressed larvae, pupae, and adults indicated that HvHsp60, HvHsp70, and HvHsp90 were heat-inducible. In particular, HvHsp60 transcripts increased dramatically in larvae and pupae that were heat-stressed at $40^{\circ}C$ and were upregulated in adults that were heat-stressed at $35^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$. The expression of HvHsp70 significantly increased in all of the three different developmental stages at $35^{\circ}C$, $40^{\circ}C$, and $45^{\circ}C$. The expression of HvHsp90 obviously increased at $30^{\circ}C$, $35^{\circ}C$, and $40^{\circ}C$ in larvae and could be induced at $35^{\circ}C$ in pupae and adults. The results suggest that HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90 play a major role in protecting H. vitessoides against high-temperature stress.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1826-1835
• /
• 2019

Objective: Testicular growth and development are strongly influenced by androgen. Although both testis weight and plasma testosterone level are inherited traits, the interrelationship between them is not fully established. Males of DDD/Sgn (DDD) mice are known to have extremely heavy testes and very high plasma testosterone level among inbred mouse strains. We dissected the genetic basis of testis weight and analyzed the potential influence of plasma testosterone level in DDD mice. Methods: Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of testis weight was performed with or without considering the influence of plasma testosterone level in reciprocal $F_2$ intercross populations between DDD and C57BL/6J (B6) mice, thereby assessing the influence of testosterone on the effect of testis weight QTL. Candidate genes for testis weight QTL were investigated by next-generation sequencing analysis. Results: Four significant QTL were identified on chromosomes 1, 8, 14, and 17. The DDDderived allele was associated with increased testis weight. The $F_2$ mice were then divided into two groups according to the plasma testosterone level ($F_2$ mice with relatively "low" and "high" testosterone levels), and QTL scans were again performed. Although QTL on chromosome 1 was shared in both $F_2$ mice, QTL on chromosomes 8 and 17 were identified specifically in $F_2$ mice with relatively high testosterone levels. By whole-exome sequencing analysis, we identified one DDD-specific missense mutation Pro29Ser in alpha tubulin acetyltransferase 1 (Atat1). Conclusion: Most of the testis weight QTL expressed stronger phenotypic effect when they were placed on circumstance with high testosterone level. High testosterone influenced the QTL by enhancing the effect of DDD-derived allele and diminishing the effects of B6-derived allele. Since Pro29Ser was not identified in other inbred mouse strains, and since Pro29 in Atat1 has been strongly conserved among mammalian species, Atat1 is a plausible candidate for testis weight QTL on chromosome 17.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.43-50
• /
• 2021

A newly cloned 4-α-glucanotransferase (αGT) from Deinococcus geothermalis and two typical bacterial αGTs from Thermus scotoductus and Escherichia coli (MalQ) were investigated. Among 4 types of catalysis, the cyclization activity of αGTs that produces cycloamylose (CA), a valuable carbohydrate making inclusion complexes, was intensively studied. The new αGT, DgαGT, showed close protein sequence to the αGT from T. scotoductus (TsαGT). MalQ was clearly separated from the other two αGTs in the phylogenetic and the conserved regions analyses. The reaction velocities of disproportionation, cyclization, coupling, and hydrolysis of three αGTs were determined. Intriguingly, MalQ exhibited more than 100-fold lower cyclization activity than the others. To lesser extent, the disproportionation activity of MalQ was relatively low. DgαGT and TsαGT showed similar kinetics results, but TsαGT had nearly 10-fold lower hydrolysis activity than DgαGT. Due to the very low cyclizing activity of MalQ, DgαGT and TsαGT were selected for further analyses. When amylose was treated with DgαGT or TsαGT, CA with a broad DP range was generated immediately. The DP distribution of CA had a bimodal shape (DP 7 and 27 as peaks) for the both enzymes, but larger DPs of CA quickly decreased in the DgαGT. Cyclomaltopentaose, a rare cyclic sugar, was produced at early reaction stage and accumulated as the reactions went on in the both enzymes, but the increase was more profound in the TsαGT. Taken together, we clearly demonstrated the catalytic differences between αGT groups from thermophilic and pathogenic bacteria that and showed that αGTs play different roles depending on their lifestyle.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.182-193
• /
• 2021

The transcription factor SHE1 was identified as an interacting partner with the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) 1a protein in the yeast two-hybrid system, by a pull-down assay, and via bimolecular fluorescent complementation. Using fluorescent-tagged proteins and confocal microscopy, the CMV 1a protein itself was found distributed predominantly between the nucleus and the tonoplast membrane, although it was also found in speckles in the cytoplasm. The SHE1 protein was localized in the nucleus, but in the presence of the CMV 1a protein was partitioned between the nucleus and the tonoplast membrane. SHE1 expression was induced by infection of tobacco with four tested viruses: CMV, tobacco mosaic virus, potato virus X and potato virus Y. Transgenic tobacco expressing the CMV 1a protein showed constitutive expression of SHE1, indicating that the CMV 1a protein may be responsible for its induction. However, previously, such plants also were shown to have less resistance to local and systemic movement of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) expressing the green fluorescent protein, suggesting that the CMV 1a protein may act to prevent the function of the SHE1 protein. SHE1 is a member of the AP2/ERF class of transcription factors and is conserved in sequence in several Nicotiana species, although two clades of SHE1 could be discerned, including both different Nicotiana species and cultivars of tobacco, varying by the presence of particular insertions or deletions.