• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2003

To investigate the relationship of endogenous retroviruses in peccaries and pigs, a set of degenerate primers was used in this study to amplify peccary retroviral sequences. The sequences of two putative retroviral clones showed close homology to mouse and pig retroviral sequences. The peccary endogenous retroviral sequences are significant in that they are the first such sequences reported in peccary species and repudiate old claims in the literature that peccaries do not have C-type retroviral sequences.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.221-231
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• 2003

To gain information on retrotransposons in the genome of Paragonimus westermani, PCR was carried out with degenerate primers, specific to protease and reverse transcriptase (rt) genes of long-terminal-repeat (LTR) retrotransposons. The PCR products were cloned and sequenced, after which 12 different retrotransposon-related sequences were isolated from the trematode genome. These showed various degrees of identity to the polyprotein of divergent retrotransposon families. A phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that these sequences could be classified into three different families of LTR retrotransposons, namely, Xena, Bel, and Gypsy families. Of these, two mRNA transcripts were detected by reverse transcriptase-PCR, showing that these two elements preserved their mobile activities. The genomic distributions of these two sequences were found to be highly repetitive. These results suggest that there are diverse retrotransposons including the ancient Xena family in the genome of P. westermani, which may have been involved in the evolution of the host genome.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.233-237
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• 2008

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a newly reported Geminivirus from tomato, generated recently large economic losses in Korea. Development of a fast and precise genetic diagnosis technique for detecting TYLCV which Agricultural research and extension services can utilize easy and handy is very important to prevent yield losses. Virion Capture (VC)/PCR is a simple, accurate and economical genetic detection method without any works or commercial kits for the extraction of the nucleic acid from the infected plants. Primers of twenty two for detection of TYLCV were designed and tested with extracted total DNA or crude sap from tomato leaf infected with TYLCV and healthy plant. Nine primers for total DNA using conventional PCR and another 9 primers for VC/PCR were selected eventually. Primers of six having same specificity were selected from the two methods and tested with other Geminivirus, Tobacco leaf curl virus (TLCV) by VC/PCR. Finally specific primers of four were selected for detection of TYLCV using VC/PCR, and Deng (540, 541), a degenerate primer for Geminivirus reported in 1996, was also developed for VC/PCR.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.888-897
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• 2009

Lipase diversity in glacier soil was assessed by culture-independent metagenomic DNA fragment screening and confirmed by cell culture experiments. A set of degenerate PCR primers specific for lipases of the hormone-sensitive lipase family was designed based on conserved motifs and used to directly PCR amplify metagenomic DNA from glacier soil. These products were used to construct a lipase fragment clone library. Among the 300 clones sequenced for the analysis, 201 clones encoding partiallipases shared 51-82% identity to known lipases in GenBank. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, five divergent clusters were established, one of which may represent a previously unidentified lipase subfamily. In the culture study, 11 lipase-producing bacteria were selectively isolated and characterized by 16S rDNA sequences. Using the above-mentioned degenerate primers, seven lipase gene fragments were cloned, but not all of them could be accounted for by the clones in the library. Two full-length lipase genes obtained by TAIL-PCR were expressed in Pichia pastoris and characterized. Both were authentic lipases with optimum temperatures of ${\le}40^{\circ}C$. Our study indicates the abundant lipase diversity in glacier soil as well as the feasibility of sequence-based screening in discovering new lipase genes from complex environmental samples.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.118-124
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• 2000

The coat protein (CP) gene of kyuri green mottle mosaic virus zucchini strain (KGMMV-Z) isolated from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) in Chonfu, Korea in 1999 was sequenced by the reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction with degenerate and generate primers originated from tobamoviruses. The degenerate primers were very effective in amplification of KGMMV-Z CP region. The KGMMV-Z CP gene consisted of 486 nucleotides and had the same nucleotide length compared with those of cucurbit-infecting tobamoviruses. KGMMV-Z CP gene shared 43.8, 44.2, and 44.4% nucleotide sequence similarity with the CP gene of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus watermelon strain (CGMMZ-W), CGMMV-KW1, and CGMMV-SH, respectively, whereas three CGMMV strains among themselves showed 98.6-99.6% nucleotide similarity. The deduced amino acids of KGMMV-Z CP gene were 161 amino acid residues with the molecular weight of 17,181 daltons. The first 24 codons of KGMMV-Z CP gene corresponded to the sequences of the N-terminal amino acid of the viral capsid protein. The amino acid sequences of KGMMV-Z CP had 45.3% similarity compared with those of three CGMMV strains. However, the amino acid sequences of CGMMV strains were identical. These results showed that two cucurbit-infecting tobamovirus members, KGMMV-Z and CGMMV were genetically distantly related.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 2004

Acid proteinase has been discovered in Aspergillus niger (acid protease A) and Cryphonectria parasitica (acid proteinase EapC) and it plays major roles in cheese formation from milk. In this study, a partial gene encoding acid proteinase in Penicillium oxalicum HCLF-34 was cloned by using PCR with degenerate primers corresponding to highly conserved regions of the acid proteinase. The partial acid proteinase gene in P. oxalicum HCLF-34 contains an open reading frame of 438 base pairs and encodes an acid proteinase protein of 146 amino aicds. The predicted amino acid sequences showed 71 % homology with acid protease A and 67% homology with EapC.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.73.1-73.10
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• 2020

Background: Bovine papilloma is a neoplastic disease caused by bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs), which were recently divided into 5 genera and at least 24 genotypes. Objectives: The complete genome sequence of BPV type 15 (BPV Aks-02), a novel putative BPV type from skin samples from infected cows in Southern Xinjiang China, was determined by collecting warty lesions, followed by DNA extraction and amplicon sequencing. Methods: DNA was analyzed initially by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the degenerate primers FAP59 and FAP64. The complete genome sequences of the BPV Aks-02 were amplified by PCR using the amplification primers and sequencing primers. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis were performed using bio-informatic software. Results: The nucleotide sequence of the L1 open reading frame (ORF) of BPV Aks-02 was 75% identity to the L1 ORF of BPV-9 reference strain from GenBank. The complete genome consisted of 7,189 base pairs (G + C content of 42.50%) that encoded 5 early (E8, E7, E1, E2, and E4) and 2 late (L1 and L2) genes. The E7 protein contained a consensus CX₂CX₂₉CX₂C zinc-binding domain and a LxCxE motif. Among the different members of this group, the percentages of the complete genome and ORFs (including 5 early and 2 late ORFs) sequence identity of BPV Aks-02 were closer to the genus Xipapillomavirus 1 of the Xipapillomavirus genus. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence similarities based on the L1 ORF of BPV Aks-02 revealed the same cluster. Conclusions: The results suggest that BPV type (BPV Aks-02) clustered with members of the Xipapillomavirus genus as BPV 15 and were closely related to Xipapillomavirus 1.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1290-1297
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• 2008

To investigate the diversities of Accumulibacter phosphatis and its polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene (phaC) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) sludge, an acetate-fed sequencing batch reactor was operated. Analysis of microbial communities using fluorescence in situ hybridization and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries showed that the population of Accumulibacter phosphatis in the EBPR sludge comprised more than 50% of total bacteria, and was clearly divided into two subgroups with about 97.5% sequence identity of the 16S rRNA genes. PAO phaC primers targeting the phaC genes of Accumulibacter phosphatis were designed and applied to retrieve fragments of putative phaC homologs of Accumulibacter phosphatis from EBPR sludge. PAO phaC primers targeting $G_{1PAO},\;G_{2PAO},\;and\;G_{3PAO}$ groups produced PCR amplicons successfully; the resulting sequences of the phaC gene homologs were diverse, and were distantly related to metagenomic phaC sequences of Accumulibacter phosphatis with 75-98% DNA sequence identities. Degenerate NPAO (non-PAO) phaC primers targeting phaC genes of non-Accumulibacter phosphatis bacteria were also designed and applied to the EBPR sludge. Twenty-four phaC homologs retrieved from NPAO phaC primers were different from the phaC gene homologs derived from Accumulibacter phosphatis, which suggests that the PAO phaC primers were specific for the amplification of phaC gene homologs of Accumulibacter phosphatis, and the putative phaC gene homologs by PAO phaC primers were derived from Accumulibacter phosphatis in the EBPR sludge. Among 24 phaC homologs, a phaC homolog (GINPAO-2), which was dominant in the NPAO phaC clone library, showed the strongest signal in slot hybridization and shared approximately 60% nucleotide identity with the $G_{4PAO}$ group of Accumulibacter phosphatis, which suggests that GINPAO-2 might be derived from Accumulibacter phosphatis. In conclusion, analyses of the 16S rRNA and phaC genes showed that Accumulibacter phosphatis might be phylogenetically and metabolically diverse.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.303-306
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• 1998

Serine proteinase cDNA fragment from protozoan parasite Acanthamoeba culbertsoni was amplified by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) using degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved serine proteinase sequences. The amplified DNA fragment was subcloned and sequenced. The sequence analysis and alignment showed significant sequence similarity to other eukaryotic serine proteinases and conservation of the His, Asp, and Ser residues that form the catalytic triad. The cDNA fragment was cloned into the pGEMEX-1 expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. A resulting fusion protein of 56 kDa had proteolytic activity. The fusion protein reacted with sera of mice immunized with purified serine proteinase of A. culbertsoni in Western blot. Immune recognition of the fusion protein by mouse antisera suggested that the fusion protein may be valuable as a diagnostic reagent.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.294-299
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• 2005

A cDNA encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS; EC2.5.1.1/EC2.5.1.10) was isolated from Centella asiacita (L.) Urban, using degenerate primers based on two highly conserved domains. A full-length cDNA clone was subsequently isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The sequence of the CaFPS (C. asiatica farnesyl diphosphate synthase) cDNA contains an open reading frame of 1029 nucleotides encoding 343 amino acids with a molecular mass of 39.6 kDa. The deduced CaFPS amino acid sequence exhibits 84, 79, and 72%, identity to the FPSs of Artemisia annua, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa, respectively. Southern blot analysis suggested that the C. asiatica genome contains only one FPS gene. An artificially expressed soluble form of the CaFPS was identified by SDS-PAGE. It had high specific activity and produced farnesyl diphosphate as the major isoprenoid.