• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of quinolone resistant E. coli from retail meat and to characterize the resistant determinants. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration, the sequence analysis of gyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDR), the presences of plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) and the expression of efflux pump genes were investigated. Of the total 277 retail meat samples, 67 coli form bacteria were isolated. 15 of 67 isolates showed nalidixic acid resistance and 7 of 15 nalidixic acid resistant isolates were also resistant to ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and levofloxacin. 11 of 15 nalidixic acid resistant strains were isolated from chicken, 2 of 15 were isolated from beef and 2 of 15 were isolated from pork samples. 11 of 15 nalidixic acid resistant strains have single mutation at codon 87 (D87N or D87G) in gyrA, 2 of 11 gyrA mutants have double mutations at codon 86 and 87 (L86A and L87I) in parC with mutations at codon 434+445+465 or 429 in gyrB. 2 of 15 resistant isolates harbored qnrS, a PMQR determinant. Over expression of the acrB gene, efflux pump gene (3.93~16.53 fold), was observed in 10 of 15 resistant isolates.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 1994

Protective effects on subcellular localization of Photobacterium leiognathi CuZnSOD(PSOD) were examined in Escherichia coli SOD mutant cells on the treatment of paraquat, heat shock $(37^{\circ}C{\to}42^{\circ}C{\to})$, hydrogen peroxide and copper sulfatem respectively. The physiological characteristics of the periplasmic and cytoplasmic PSOD localized differently are dependent on the conditions in this experiment. Cells expressing SOD periplasmically in the treatments of paraquat and $H_2O_2$ respectively were somewhat better protective effects cells expressiong SOD cytoplasmically at comparable level and SOD expression level showed, the most consistently important variable. However, this was reversed in the treatments of heat shock and $CuSO_4$, respectively.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2009

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120 produces a developmental patten of single hete- rocysts separated by approximately 10 vegetative cells. Heterocysts differentiate from vegetative cells and are spe- cialized for nitrogen fixation. The patS gene, which encodes a small peptide that inhibits heterocyst differentiation, is expressed in proheterocysts and plays a critical role in establishing the heterocyst pattem. Another key regulator of heterocyst development is the hetR gene. hetR mutants fail to produce heterocysts and extra copies of hetR on a plas- mid cause a multiple contiguous heterocyst phenotype. To elucidate the relationship between these two counter act- ing factors in the genetic regulatory pathway during heterocyst differentiation, the expression patterns of a patS-gfp and a hetR-gfp fusion were examined in a patS deletion and a hetR deletion strain. The results, in combination with the result from a hetR and patS double deletion strain, suggest patS and hetR are mutually antagonistic and the bal- ance between these two factors in tow different cell types (heterocysts and vegetative cells) may be critical during the decision making process on their cell fates.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.449-465
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• 2023

Plants are challenged by various pathogens throughout their lives, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and insects; consequently, they have evolved several defense mechanisms. In addition, plants have developed localized and systematic immune responses due to biotic and abiotic stress exposure. Animals are known to activate DNA damage responses (DDRs) and DNA damage sensor immune signals in response to stress, and the process is well studied in animal systems. However, the links between stress perception and immune response through DDRs remain largely unknown in plants. To determine whether DDRs induce plant resistance to pathogens, Arabidopsis plants were treated with bleomycin, a DNA damage-inducing agent, and the replication levels of viral pathogens and growth of bacterial pathogens were determined. We observed that DDR-mediated resistance was specifically activated against viral pathogens, including turnip crinkle virus (TCV). DDR increased the expression level of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and the total salicylic acid (SA) content and promoted mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades, including the WRKY signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that defense-and SA-related genes were upregulated by DDR. The atm-2atr-2 double mutants were susceptible to TCV, indicating that the main DDR signaling pathway sensors play an important role in plant immune responses. In conclusion, DDRs activated basal immune responses to viral pathogens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.373-381
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• 2019

Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to generate five different triple point mutations in the double mutant (C295A/I86A) of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus alcohol dehydrogenase (TeSADH) by computer-aided modeling with the aim of widening the small alkyl-binding pocket. TeSADH engineering enables the enzyme to accept sterically hindered substrates that could not be accepted by the wild-type enzyme. The underline in the mutations highlights the additional point mutation on the double mutant TeSADH introduced in this work. The catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_M$) of the ${\underline{M151A}}$/C295A/I86A triple TeSADH mutant for acetophenone increased about 4.8-fold higher than that of the double mutant. A 2.4-fold increase in conversion of 3'-methylacetophenone to (R)-1-(3-methylphenyl)-ethanol with a yield of 87% was obtained by using ${\underline{V115A}}$/C295A/I86A mutant in asymmetric reduction. The ${\underline{A85G}}$/C295A/I86A mutant also produced (R)-1-(3-methylphenyl)-ethanol (1.7-fold) from 3'-methylacetophenone and (R)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-ethanol (1.2-fold) from 3'-methoxyacetophenone, with improved yield. In terms of thermal stability, the ${\underline{M151A}}$/C295A/I86A and ${\underline{V115A}}$/C295A/I86A mutants significantly increased ${\Delta}T_{1/2}$ by $+6.8^{\circ}C$ and $+2.4^{\circ}C$, respectively, with thermal deactivation constant ($k_d$) close to the wild-type enzyme. The ${\underline{M151A}}$/C295A/I86A mutant reacts optimally at $70^{\circ}C$ with almost 4 times more residual activity than the wild type. Considering broad substrate tolerance and thermal stability together, it would be promising to produce (R)-1-(3-methylphenyl)-ethanol from 3'-methylacetophenone by ${\underline{V115A}}$/C295A/I86A, and (R)-1-phenylethanol from acetophenone by ${\underline{M151A}}$/C295A/I86A mutant, in large-scale bioreduction processes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.681-686
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• 2012

Light, one of the environmental stimuli, is fundamental to the growth and development of plants. Red and far-red light are sensed using the phytochrome family of plant photoreceptors. To investigate the effect of light on root growth and gravitropism, we used the Arabidopsis phytochrome mutants grown in several light conditions. The root growth of $phyA$ reared in all light conditions except white light and was stimulated compared to the WT. The stimulation of root growth was obvious in $phyA$ grown in red light. On the other hand, the root growth of $phyB$ grown in all light conditions decreased, and the lowest rate of decrease was observed in $phyAB$ grown in white and red light. The gravitropic response of $phyA$ was stimulated compared to the WT when it was grown in all light conditions except far-red light. $PhyAB$ grown in all light conditions showed the inhibition of gravitropic response. The transcript level of ACS, one of the enzymes regulating ethylene biosynthesis, increased in $phyA$ grown in white and red light, but not in $phyA$ grown in far-red light. In conclusion, these results suggested that the $P_{fr}$ form of $phyB$ regulates the root growth and gravitropism.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2002

Human eryhropoietin (EPO) is acidic glycoprotein hormone that plays key role in hematopoiesis by facilitating differentiation of erythrocyte and formation of hemoglobin (Hb) and is used for the treatment of anemia. Human EPO is consist of 166 amino acids which is modified by three N-glycosylations (24, 38, 83) and single O-glycosylation (126). N-glycosylation is reported to be related to the cellular secretion and activity of EPO. In this study, we examined effects of mutagenesis in glycosylation site of recombinat hEPO for the cellular secretion during production from cultured CHO cell. We produced rhEpo which was cloned by PCR from human liver cDNA (TaKaRa) in cultured CHO cell. Using supernatant of the culture, ELISA assay and western analysis were performed. To estimate biological activity, 20IU of rhuEpo was subcutaneously injected into four ICR mice. After 8 days, HCT level was increased average 13 per cent, RBC was increased ca. 2${\times}$10$\^$6//${\mu}\ell$. In disease model Rat (anemia c-kit, WSRC-WS/WS), HCT was increased ca. 12%, RBC was increased ca. 1.6${\times}$10$\^$6//${\mu}\ell$. These results suggests that rhEpo we produced has biological activity. To remove glycosylation site by substituting 24, 38, 83, and 126th asparagine (or serine) with glutamic acid, overlapping -extension site-directed mutagenesis was performed. To add novel glycosylation sites, 69, 105th leucine was mutated to asparagine. Mutant EPO construct was transfected into CHO cell. Supernatant of the cell culture was analyzed using ELISA assay with monoclonal anti-EPO antibody (Medac, Germany). Since, several reports for mutagenesis of glycosylation sites showed case-by-case results, we examined both transient expression and stable expression. Addition of novel glycosylation sites resulted no secretion while deletion mutants had little effect except some double deletion mutants (24/83 and 38/83) and triple mutant. We suggest that not single but combination of glycosyl group affect secretion of EPO.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.215-221
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• 2006

Gibberella zeae (anamorph: Fusarium graminearum) is an important pathogen of cereal crops. This fungus produces a broad range of secondary metabolites, including polyketides such as aurofusarin (a red pigment) and zearalenone (an estrogenic mycotoxin), which are important mycological characteristics of this species. A screen of G. zeae insertional mutants, generated using a restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) procedure, led to the isolation of a mutant (Z43R606) that produced neither aurofusarin nor zearalenone yet showed normal female fertility and virulence on host plants. Outcrossing analysis confirmed that both the albino and zearalenone-deficient mutations are linked to the insertional vector in Z43R606. Molecular characterization of Z43R606 revealed a deletion of at least 220 kb of the genome at the vector insertion site, including the gene clusters required for the biosynthesis of aurofusarin and zearalenone, respectively. A re-creation of the insertional event of Z43R606 in the wild-type strain demonstrated that the 220-kb deletion is responsible for the phenotypic changes in Z43R606 and that a large region of genomic DNA can be efficiently deleted in G. zeae by double homologous recombination. The results showed that 52 putative genes located in the deleted genomic region are not essential for phenotypes other than the production of both aurofusarin and zearalenone. This is the first report of the molecular characterization of a large genomic deletion in G. zeae mediated by the REMI procedure.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2007

Functional elements of the conserved helix 7 in the poreforming domain of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry $\delta$- endotoxins have not yet been clearly identified. Here, we initially performed alanine substitutions of four highly conserved aromatic residues, $Trp^{243}$, $Phe^{246}$, $Tyr^{249}$ and $Phe^{264}$, in helix 7 of the Cry4Ba mosquito-larvicidal protein. All mutant toxins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli as 130-kDa protoxins at levels comparable to the wild-type. Bioassays against Stegomyia aegypti mosquito larvae revealed that only W243A, Y249A or F264A mutant toxins displayed a dramatic decrease in toxicity. Further mutagenic analysis showed that replacements with an aromatic residue particularly at $Tyr^{249}$ and $Phe^{264}$ still retained the high-level toxin activity. In addition, a nearly complete loss in larvicidal activity was found for Y249L/F264L or F264A/ Y249A double mutants, confirming the involvement in toxicity of both aromatic residues which face towards the same direction. Furthermore, the Y249L/F264L mutant was found to be structurally stable upon toxin solubilisation and trypsin digestion, albeit a small change in the circular dichroism spectrum. Altogether, the present study provides for the first time an insight into the highly conserved aromaticity of $Tyr^{249}$ and $Phe^{264}$ within helix 7 playing an important role in larvicidal activity of the Cry4Ba toxin.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2007

Two lysis-defective but DNA synthesis non-defective temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of mycobacteriophage L1, L1G23ts23 and L1G25ts889 were found to be defective also in phage-specific RNA synthesis in the late period of their growth at 42$^{\circ}C$each to the extent of 50% of that at 32$^{\circ}C$The double mutant, L1G23ts23G25ts889 showed the ts defect in phage RNA synthesis that was nearly additive of those shown individually by the two single-mutant parents. Both G23 and G25 were shown to start functioning sometimes between 30 and 45 min after infection but the former gene might be dispensable after 45 min, while the latter was not. Northern analysis also shows that at 42$^{\circ}C$>, L1G23ts23 affects RNA synthesis more strongly than L1G25ts889 from L1 DNA segments that serve as the template for late gene transcription. Among the 21 virion and 12 non-virion late proteins synthesized by L1, L1G23ts23 is defective in the synthesis of at least 9 virion and all of non-virion proteins at 42$^{\circ}C$>. In contrast, L1G25ts889 is completely defective in synthesis of all the 33 late proteins. Possible roles of G23 and G25 in the positive regulation of transcription of different sets of late genes of L1 have been discussed.