• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.276-282
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• 2007

Protein phosphorylation is one of the major mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells transduce extracellular signals into intracellular responses. Calcium/calmodulin ($Ca^{2+}/CaM$)-dependent protein phosphorylation has been implicated in various cellular processes, yet little is known about $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) in plants. From an Arabidopsis expression library screen using a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated soybean calmodulin isoform (SCaM-1) as a probe, we isolated a full-length cDNA clone that encodes AtCK (Arabidopsis thaliana calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase). The predicted structure of AtCK contains a serine/threonine protein kinase catalytic domain followed by a putative calmodulin-binding domain and a putative $Ca^{2+}$-binding domain. Recombinant AtCK was expressed in E. coli and bound to calmodulin in a $Ca^{2+}$-dependent manner. The ability of CaM to bind to AtCK was confirmed by gel mobility shift and competition assays. AtCK exhibited its highest levels of autophosphorylation in the presence of 3 mM $Mn^{2+}$. The phosphorylation of myelin basic protein (MBP) by AtCK was enhanced when AtCK was under the control of calcium-bound CaM, as previously observed for other $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinases. In contrast to maize and tobacco CCaMKs (calcium and $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinase), increasing the concentration of calmodulin to more than $3{\mu}M$ suppressed the phosphorylation activity of AtCK. Taken together our results indicate that AtCK is a novel Arabidopsis $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinase which is presumably involved in CaM-mediated signaling.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.274-280
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• 2005

Pasteurella multocida is known to cause widespread infections in husbandry. To induce homologous and heterologous immunity against the infections, outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in the envelope of P. multocida are thought to be attractive vaccine candidates. Outer membrane protein H is considered as the major component of OMPs. In this study, a gene for OmpH was isolated from pathogenic P. multocida serogroup A. The gene was composed of 1,047 nucleotides coding 348 amino acids with signal peptide of 20 amino acids. The amino acid composition showed about 80 to 98 per cent sequence homologies among other 10 strains of P. multocida serogroup A, reported so far. A recombinant ompH, from which signal peptide was truncated, was generated using pRSET A to name 'pRSET A/OmpH-F2'. The pRSET A/OmpH-F2 was well expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The truncated OmpH was purified using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) affinity column chromatography. Its molecular weight was registered to be 40 kDa on SDS-PAGE gel. In order to generate immunesera against the OmpH, 50 ug of the protein was intraperitoneally injected into mice three times. The anti-OmpH immuneserum recognized about $5{\times}10^{-2}$ng quantity of the purified OmpH. It can be used for an effective vaccine production to prevent fowl cholera caused by pathogenic P. multocida (Serogroup A).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.264-273
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• 2002

We have isolated and artificially expressed three cDNA clones of Capsicum annuum PR5 genes for elucidating the antifungal activity against Phytophthora capsici which contracted a hot pepper root rot in field condition. Three divergent PR5 proteins from hot pepper were designated as CAPR5-1 and CAPR5-2 from susceptible cultivar (Subicho) as well as CAPR5-3 from resistant cultivar (CM331) in response to P. capsici. The cDNA similarity was found over 80% of identity among the three CAPR5s, and deduced amino acid sequence was characterized that all of CAPR5s contained 16 cysteine residues which possibly had a significant role in the structural formation. The result of genomic DNA blot showed that CAPR5-1 and CAPR5-2 existed as single copy in the Subicho genome. Three recombinant CPARs in E. coli were identified by SDS-PACE, and each expressed protein was treated on the PDA medium which contained cultured pathogens. Although three CAPR5 proteins did not affected the hyphal growth of Glomerella glycines and Colletotrichum fagenarium, CAPR5-1, CAPR5-2, and CAPR5-3 showed a specific antifungal activities against P. capsici.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.208-219
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• 2018

Emergence of drug resistant strains of Salmonella enterica threatens milk processing and related dairy industries, thereby increasing the need for development of new anti-bacterials. Developments of antibacterial drugs are largely aimed to target the bacterial envelope, but screening their efficacy on bacterial envelope is laborious. This study presents a potential biosensor for envelope-specific stress in which a gfp reporter gene fused to spy gene encoding a periplasmic chaperone protein Spy (spheroplast protein y) that can sense envelope stress signals transduced by two major two-component signal transduction systems BaeSR and CpxAR in Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and S. Gallinarum. Using spy-gfp operon fusions in S. Enterititis and S. Gallinarum, we found that spy transcription in both serovars was greatly induced when Salmonella cells were forming the spheroplast and were treated with ethanol or a membrane-disrupting antibiotic polymyxin B. These envelope stress-specific inductions of spy transcription were abrogated in mutant Salmonella lacking either BaeR or CpxR. Results illustrate that induction of Spy expression can be efficiently triggered by two-component signal transduction systems sensing envelope stress conditions, and thereby suggest that monitoring the spy transcription by spy-gfp operon fusions would be helpful to determine if developing antimicrobials can damage envelopes of S. Enteritidis and S. Gallinarum.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1720-1728
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• 2020

We have previously characterized AprESJ4, the major fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus subtilis SJ4 (Yao et al., 2019). During that study, we observed a 68 kDa protein with fibrinolytic activity. In this study, we cloned the gene (vprSJ4) encoding the 68 kDa protein, a mature Vpr and minor protease secreted by Bacillus species. vprSJ4 encodes a preproenzyme consisting of 810 amino acids (aa) including signal sequence (28 aa) and prosequence (132 aa). The mature enzyme (650 aa) has a predicted molecular weight of 68,467.35. Unlike Vprs from other B. subtilis strains, VprSJ4 has 4 additional amino acids (DEFA) at the C-terminus. vprSJ4 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. PreproVprSJ4 was localized in inclusion bodies, and subjected to in vitro renaturation and purification by an affinity column. SDS-PAGE and western blot showed that autoprocessing of preproVprSJ4 occurred and 68 kDa and smaller proteins were produced. The optimum pH and temperature of the recombinant VprSJ4 were pH 7.0 and 40℃, respectively. Kinetic parameters of recombinant VprSJ4 were measured by using an artificial substrate, N-succinyl-ala-ala-pro-phe-p-nitroanilide. Coexpression of vprSJ4 and aprESJ4 using pHY300PLK increased the fibrinolytic activity a further 117% when compared with aprESJ4 single expression using the same vector in B. subtilis WB600.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2012

Helicobacter pylori is an important factor of chronic gastritis, digestive ulcer, and stomach cancer. CagL, a virulence factor of H. pylori, is well-known as a pilus protein which acts as adhesion to host cell and a component of Type 4 secretion system. In this study, we evaluated the protective response of recombinant CagL protein (rCagL) using Mongolian gerbil animal model for H. pylori infection. The cagL gene was cloned from 26695 H. pylori followed by over-expression and purification of the protein in E. coli. Mongolian gerbils were immunized with rCagL protein mixed with aluminum adjuvant via intramuscular injections once a week during 4 weeks. At a week after the last immunization, the Mongolian gerbils were administrated with H. pylori 7.13 strain into the stomach and sacrificed to measure antibody titer on rCagL by ELISA and bacterial colonization in the stomach, and to examine the histopathological changes and cytokine expression at 6 week after challenge. Antibody titers on recombinant protein were significantly increased from a week after the first immunization. There was no significant change of the number of bacterial colony between control group and immunized group. The relative stomach weight was significantly decreased in immunized group, but the significant change of histopathological assessment was not observed in the stomach. Cytokine expression such as IL-$1{\beta}$ and KC also was not significantly different between control and immunized groups. These results indicate that rCagL could effectively induce the formation of the specific IgG antibodies. However, bacterial colonization and histopathological lesions could not be inhibited by the immunization in the stomach, indicating not enough protection against H. pylori infection. We consider that along with CagL other adequate antigens could be needed stimulating immune response and inducing protective effects against gastric disease, and also a better adjuvant could be considered.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.239-255
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• 1997

Expression of the cDNA of the VP1 gene on the genome RNA B segment of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) DRT strain in E. coli and a recombinant baculovirus were carried out. The VP1 gene in the pMal-pol clone (Lee et al. 1995) was cleaved with XbaI and transferred into baculovirus transfer vector, pBacPAK9 and it was named pBacVP1 clone. The VP1 gene in the pBacVP1 clone was double-digested with SacI and PstI and then inserted just behind T5 phage promoter and the $6{\times}His$ region of the pQE-3D expression vector, and it was called pQEVPl. Again, the $6{\times}$His-tagged VP1 DNA fragment in the pQEVP1 was cleaved with EcoRI and transferred into the VP1 site of the pBacVP1, resulting pBacHis-VP1 recombinant. The pBacHis-VP1 DNA was cotransfected with LacZ-Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LacZ-HcNPV) DNA digested with Bsu361 onto S. frugiperda cells to make a recombinant virus. One VP1-gene inserted recombinant virus was selected by plaque assay. The recombinant virus was named VP1-HcNPV-1. The $6{\times}$His-tagged VP1 protein produced by the pQEVP1 was purified with Ni-NTA resin chromatography and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. The molecular weight of the VP1 protein was 94 kDa. The recombinant virus, VP1-HcNPV-1 did not form polyhedral inclusion bodies and expressed VP1 protein with 95 kDa in the infected S. frugiperda cells, which was detected by Western blot. The titer of the VP1-HcNPV-1 in the first infected cells was $2.0{\times}10^5\;pfu/ml$ at 7 days postinfection.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 2005

The endoinulinase gene (inu, 2.733 kb, EC 3.2.1.7) from Paenibacillus polymyxa was subcloned into an Escherichia coli-yeast shuttle vector with GALl promoter for the expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The constructed plasmid, pYGENIU27 (8.6 kb) was introduced into S. cerevisiae SEY2102 cell and then the yeast transformant was selected on the synthetic defined media lacking uracil and on the inulin-containing media. The recombinant endoinulinase was predominantly localized in the periplasmic space of the yeast cell. The total activity of the endoinulinase reached 1.81 unit/ml by cultivation of yeast transformant on YPDG medium. The optimized conditions determined for the inulooligosaccharides (IOSs) production from inulin were as follows; pH, 8.0; reaction temperature, $45^{\circ}C$; inulin source, Jerusalem artichoke. Enzyme activity was stably maintained up to the pH of 10.0. Under the optimized condition and with endoinulinase of 36 unit/g-inulin, IOSs started to be produced after 10 min of enzymatic reaction. By the reaction with inulin, IOSs consisting of inulobiose (F2), inulotriose (F3), and inulotetraose (F4) were produced and F3 was the major product. Consequently, these data would be used as a fundamental parameters for the production of functional sweetener IOSs from inulin by recombinant yeast endoinulinase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1749-1759
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• 2018

Recombinant (rec) prion protein (PrP) is an extremely useful resource for studying protein misfolding and subsequent protein aggregation events. Here, we report mass production of high-purity rec-polypeptide encoding the C-terminal globular domain of PrP; (90-230) for human and (89-231) for murine PrP. These proteins were expressed as His-tagged fusion proteins in E. coli cultured by a high cell-density aerobic fermentation method. RecPrPs recovered from inclusion bodies were slowly refolded under reducing conditions. Purification was performed by a sequence of metal-affinity, cation-exchange, and reverse-phase chromatography. The current procedure yielded several dozens of milligrams of recPrP per liter with >95% purity. The purified recPrPs predominantly adopted an ${\alpha}$-helix-rich conformation and were functionally sufficient as substrates to measure the seeding activity of human and animal prions. Establishment of a procedure for high-level production of high-purity recPrP supports the advancement of in vitro investigations of PrP including diagnosis for prion diseases.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1997

5-Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate(EPSP) synthase is the sixth enzyme of the shikimate pathway that synthesizes aromatic amino acids. The enzyme is a primary target for the glyphos'lte which is a broad-spectrum and environmetally safe herbicide. As a first step toward development of glyphpsate-resistant EPSP synthase, the EPSP synthase gene(aroA) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cluned into pET-25b vector. In this construct. designated pET-aro, the aroA gene is expressed under control of strong T7 promoter. and the EPSP synthase is produced as a fusion protein with pelB leader at N-terminus and HSV-tag and His-tag at C-terminus. When the pET-aro clone was induced to produce the enzyme, it was found that the EPSP synthase was successfully exported to peri plasmic space. The periplasmic transport was greatly dependent on the induction temperatures. Among the induction temperatures examined($25^{\circ}C$, $30^{\circ}C$, $34^{\circ}C$ and $37^{\circ}C$). induction at $34^{\circ}C$ gave rise to maximal periplasmic transport. The recomhinant EPSP synthase could have been purified hy $Ni^{2+}$ -affinity chromatography using the His-tag. and detected hy anti-HSV -tag antibody. The recombinant EPSP synthase also hound to phosphocellulose resin and was eluted hy shikimate 3-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate. as expected. The recombinant EPSP synthase purified from phosphocellulose resin showed typical EPSP synthase activity.