• Molecules and Cells
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.583-589
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• 2009

GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) is a key enzyme in the de novo synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin. Previously, the Drosophila melanogaster GTPCH gene has been shown to be expressed from two different promoters (P1 and P2). In our study, the 5'-flanking DNA regions required for P1 and P2 promoter activities were characterized using transient expression assay. The DNA regions between -98 and +31, and between -73 and +35 are required for efficient P1 and P2 promoter activities, respectively. The regions between -98 and -56 and between -73 and -41 may contain critical elements required for the expression of GTPCH in Drosophila. By aligning the nucleotide sequences in the P1 and P2 promoter regions of the Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilrs GTPCH genes, several conserved elements including palindromic sequences in the regions critical for P1 and P2 promoter activities were identified. Western blot analysis of transgenic flies transformed using P1 or P2 promoter-lacZ fusion plasmids further revealed that P1 promoter expression is restricted to the late pupae and adult developmental stages but that the P2 promoter driven expression of GTPCH is constitutive throughout fly development. In addition, X-gal staining of the embryos and imaginal discs of transgenic flies suggests that the P2 promoter is active from stage 13 of embryo and is generally active in most regions of the imaginal discs at the larval stages.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.107-112
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• 1996

To study the compensatory aspect of putrescine biosynthetic enzyme n tobacco suspension cultured cells, we examined the contents of the cellular polyamines and the activities of arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) in the tobacco suspension cells treated with $\alpha$-difluoromethyl arginine (DFMA) or $\alpha$-difluoromethyl ornithine (DFMO). In the untreated cells, the content of the cellular putrescine was decreased during the first 3 hours and then subsequently increased. However, the content of the cellular spermidine and spermine remained constant during the incubation time. While ADC activity increased after 6 hours, ODC activity decreased following the rapid increase until 6 hours. DFMA induced the decrease in the contents of putrescine and spermidine, and the increase in that of spermine. It also caused the inhibition of ADC and ODC activities throughout the incubation time. DFMO produced the stimulation of ADC activity about 2 times of untreated cells and the decrease in the content of putrescine about 50% of them at 12 hour. The application of putrescine or cycloheximide prevented the increase of ADC activity by DFMO but that of actinomycin-D did not show any detectable effect. The stimulation of ADC activity by DFMO in tobacco suspension cultured cells was probably due to the enhancement of de novo synthesis for ADC protein, which might be regulated in the translation step by the content of the cellular putrescine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.614-618
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• 2014

Resveratrol, which is a polyphenolic antioxidant, is dose-dependent when used to provide health benefits, to enhance stress resistance, and to extend lifespans. However, even though resveratrol has therapeutic benefits, its clinical therapeutic effect is limited owing to its low oral bioavailability. An Escherichia coli system was developed that contains an artificial biosynthetic pathway that produces resveratrol glucoside derivatives, such as resveratrol-3-Oglucoside (piceid) and resveratrol-4'-O-glucoside (resveratroloside), from simple carbon sources. This artificial biosynthetic pathway contains a glycosyltransferase addition (YjiC from Bacillus) with resveratrol biosynthetic genes. The produced glucoside compounds were verified through the presence of a product peak(s) and also through LC/MS analyses. The strategy used in this research demonstrates the first harnessing of E. coli for de novo synthesis of resveratrol glucoside derivatives from a simple sugar medium.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.6-11
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• 2001

An ${\omega}-3$ fatty acid desaturase gene which is involved in de novo synthesis of -Iinolenate was isolated from cDNA library of Perilla frutescens. A cDNA library was constructed with mRNA extracted from perilla seeds of 12 DAF. The cDNA clone consisting of 1317-bp open reading frame encoding 438 amino acids with a relative MW of 50kDa, was isolated and showed 65-83% similarities to other known genes. This cDNA is deduced to encode a plastidal ${\omega}-3$ fatty acid desaturase based on the fact that it has higher homology to plastidal ones than to microsomal ones and its N-terminal sequence shares several characteristics of transit peptides of chloroplast proteins. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA indicated that more than one gene or alleles for ${\omega}-3$ fatty acid desaturase are present in the genome of perilla. Northern blot analysis showed that the ${\omega}-3$ fatty acid desaturase gene is mainly revealed in early developing seeds and has different expression patterns depending on tissue types compared to the microsomal ones.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.239-245
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• 2007

DnaK is a major antigen in Streptococcus pneumoniae, and is induced by a minor shift in temperature (30 to $37^{\circ}C$) but not by ethanol shock. Although HrcA in the presence of $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ represses the expression of both groEL and hrcA, the control of transcription of the dnaK operon is not completely understood. In this study, the dnaK operon of S. pneumoniae (5' hrcA-grpE-dnaK-dnaJ) was cloned and analyzed. It contains large intergenic regions in grpE/dnaK and dnaK/dnaJ. Pulse labeling with [$^{35}S$]-methionine and immunoblot analyses revealed the presence of higher levels of DnaK than of HrcA even in the presence of $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ after heat shock suggesting that $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ differentially regulates the heat shock responses of hrcA and dnaK. By blocking de novo mRNA synthesis with rifampin it was shown that neither the hrcA nor the groEL transcripts were stabilized by heat shock even though dnaK transcripts were stabilized. We conclude that S. pneumoniae uses fine regulation of the transcription of the individual genes of the tetracistronic dnaK operon to cope with the various stresses experienced during infections.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.49-56
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• 2019

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a major urogenital infection in women. Lactobacilli are important in maintaining vaginal health. In the present study, the effect of heat adaptation at $47{\sim}52^{\circ}C$ prior to heat stress at $60^{\circ}C$ in improving the viability of Lactobacillus salivarius MG242 was examined. L. salivarius MG242 has antifungal effects against Candida albicans. Heat-adapted cells had a higher survival rate than non-adapted cells during the subsequent heat stress. When chloramphenicol was added during the adaptation process, heat tolerance was abolished, suggesting the involvement of de novo protein synthesis with the heat adaptation of L. salivarius MG242 strain. Exopolysaccharide quantification and scanning election microscopy did not reveal any appreciable changes during heat adaptation. The antifungal activity of L. salivarius MG242 against C. albicans was maintained during the heat adaptation. These results suggest that heat adaptation can be applied for the development of probiotic products using L. salivarius MG242 to improve its stress tolerance during processing.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.242-250
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• 2023

Comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) is an activating protein of triacylglycerol (TAG) lipase. It has a variety of catalytic activities whereby it may play different roles in diverse organisms. In this study, a homolog of CGI-58 in Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PtCGI-58) was identified. PtCGI-58 was localized in mitochondria by GFP fusion protein analysis, which is different from the reported subcellular localization of CGI-58 in animals and plants. Respectively, PtCGI-58 overexpression resulted in increased neutral lipid content and TAG accumulation by 42-46% and 21-32%. Likewise, it also increased the relative content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and in particular, the EPA content in TAGs almost doubled. Transcript levels of genes involved in de novo fatty acid synthesis and mitochondrial β-oxidation were significantly upregulated in PtCGI-58 overexpression strains compared with wild-type cells. Our findings suggest that PtCGI-58 may mediate the breakdown of lipids in mitochondria and the recycling of acyl chains derived from mitochondrial β-oxidation into TAG biosynthesis. Moreover, this study potentially illuminates new functions for CGI-58 in lipid homeostasis and provides a strategy to enrich EPA in algal TAGs.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제25권10호
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• pp.1184-1195
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• 2015

새로운 실험 동물로 대두되고 있는 제브라피쉬는 척추동물 생식생물학 연구에서도 중요한 역할을 한다. 제브라피쉬의 난자 성숙은 maturation inducing hormone (MIH, 17α,20β-Dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one)에 의해 촉발된다. 대부분의 동물의 난자성숙에는 cdc2 kinase와 cyclinB 단백질 복합체인 MPF의 활성화가 필요하다. 발톱개구리와 생쥐에서는 MPF 활성이 두 가지 기작에 의해 조절되는데, 하나는 cyclinB 결합이고 또 다른 하나는 Wee1과 Cdc25에 의한 T14/Y15 잔기의 억제성인산화와 탈인산화이다. 발톱개구리나 생쥐와 달리 제브라피쉬를 포함한 대부분의 진골어류(teleost)는 GV 난자에 pre-MPF complex가 존재하지 않으므로 MPF 활성화는 전적으로 cyclinB 단백질의 de novo synthesis에 의존한다. 다른 종과 마찬가지로 제브라피쉬의 모계유래 mRNA도 CPEB, Dazl, Pum1/Pum2, insulin-like growth factor2 mRNA-binding protein 3 등 다양한 RNA binding protein (RBP)의 결합에 의해 번역이 조절된다. 그러나 제브라피쉬 난자에서 단백질 번역 조절에 관여하는 자세한 작용 기작은 확실하게 규명되지 않았다. 그러므로 제브라피쉬 난자의 성숙과정을 연구하는 것은 척추동물 난자 초기 성숙과정에서 단백질 번역 조절의 역할을 규명할 수 있는 새로운 정보를 제공할 것이다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.1256-1266
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• 2004

2-Bromooctanoic acid (2-BrOA) is known to block the formation of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) in Pseudomonasfluorescens BM07 without any influence on the cell growth when grown on fructose, but it inhibits the cell growth when grown on octanoate (OA) (Lee et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4963- 4974, 2001). We investigated the role of 2-BrOA in the PHA synthesis of the bacterium grown with mixtures of fructose and fatty acids. OA, 11­phenoxyundecanoic acid (1 1-POU), and 5-phenylvaleric acid (5-PV) were selected as model substrates. When supplemented with 50 mM fructose, all these carboxylic acids suppressed the formation of PHA from fructose, however, the ~-oxidation coenzyme A monomers derived from the carboxylic acids were efficiently polymerized, but the conversion yield [(mol of carboxylate substrate converted into PHA)/(mol of carboxylate substrate in the feed)] was low (e.g., maximally $\~53\%$ for 5 mM 11-POU). Addition of 2-BrOA (up to 5 mM) to the mixed carbon sources raised the conversion yield sensitively and effectively only at low levels of the acid substrates (e.g., 2 mM 1 1-POU or 5 mM OA): For instance, $100\%$ of 2 mM ll-POU were converted into PHA in the presence of 5 mM 2-BrOA, whereas only $\~10\%$ of the 1 1-POU were converted in the absence of 2-BrOA. However, at highly saturated suppressing levels (e.g., 5 mM ll-POU), 2-BrOA inhibitor showed no significant additional effect on the conversion ($60- 70\%$ conversion irrespective of 2-BrOA level). The existence of competitive and compensative relationship between 2­BrOA and all the carboxylic acid substrates used may indicate 'Present address: Section on Brain Physiology and Metabolism, Bldg. 10, Rm. 6N202, National Institute on Agmg, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, U.S.A. that all the acid substrate-derived inhibiting species bind to the same site as the 2-BrOA inhibiting species does. We, therefore, suggest that 2-BrOA can be used for efficiently increasing the yield of conversion of expensive substituted fatty acids into PHA and then substituted 3-hydroxyacids by hydrolyzing it.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권17호
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• pp.7097-7103
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• 2014

Over-expression of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) genes is associated with the prognosis of various types of cancers. However, the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes on recurrence and survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after surgery are still unknown. In this study, a total of 500 NSCLC patients who underwent surgery treatment were included. Eight SNPs in 3 genes (ACACA, FASN and ACLY) of the DNL pathway were examined using the Sequenom iPLEX genotyping system. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the association of SNPs with patient survival and tumour recurrence. We found that two SNPs in the FASN gene were significantly associated with the recurrence of NSCLC. SNP rs4246444 had a significant association with lung cancer recurrence under additive model (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 0.67-1.00; p=0.05). Under the dominant model, rs4485435 exhibited a significant association with recurrence (HR, 0.75; 95%CI, 0.56-1.01; p=0.05). Additionally, SNP rs9912300 in ACLY gene was significantly associated with overall survival in lung cancer patients (HR, 1.41; 95%CI, 1.02-1.94, p=0.04) under the dominant model. Further cumulative effect analysis showed moderate dose-dependent effects of unfavorable SNPs on both survival and recurrence. Our data suggest that the SNPs in DNL genes may serve as independent prognostic markers for NSCLC patients after surgery.