• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2017

Arabidopsis nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (AtNDPK2) is an upstream signaling molecule that has been shown to induce stress tolerance in plants. In this study, the AtNDPK2 gene, under the control of a stress-inducible SWPA2 promoter, was introduced into the genome of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plants. The induction of the transgene expression mediated by methyl viologen (MV) and NaCl treatments were confirmed by RT-PCR and northern blot analysis, respectively. Under salt stress treatment, the transgenic tall fescue plants (SN) exhibited lower level of $H_2O_2$ and lipid peroxidation accumulations than the non-transgenic (NT) plants. The transgenic tall fescue plants also showed higher level of NDPK enzyme activity compared to NT plants. The SN plants were survived at 300 mM NaCl treatment, whereas the NT plants were severely affected. These results indicate that stress-inducible overexpression of AtNDPK2 might efficiently confer the salt stress tolerance in tall fescue plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.148-155
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• 2021

Gibberellins (GAs) are essential phytohormones for plant growth that influence developmental processes and crop yields. Recent functional genomic analyses of model plants have yielded good characterizations of the canonical GA signaling pathways and related genes. Although Panax ginseng has long been considered to have economic and medicinal importance, functional genomic studies of the GA signaling pathways in this crucial perennial herb plant have been rarely conducted. Here, we identified and performed functional analysis of the GA signaling-related genes, including PgGID1s, PgSLY1s, and PgRGAs. We confirmed that the physiological role of GA signaling components in P. ginseng was evolutionarily conserved. In addition, the important functional domains and amino acid residues for protein interactions among active GA, GID1, SCF^SLY1, and RGA were also functionally conserved. Prediction and comparison of crystallographic structural similarities between PgGID1s and AtGID1a supported their function as GA receptors. Moreover, the subcellular localization and GA-dependent promotion of DELLA degradation in P. ginseng was similar to the canonical GA signaling pathways in other plants. Finally, we found that overexpression of PgRGA2 and PgSLY1-1 was sufficient to complement the GA-related phenotypes of atgid1a/c double- and rga quintuple-mutants, respectively. This critical information for these GA signaling genes has the potential to facilitate future genetic engineering and breeding of P. ginseng for increased crop yield and production of useful substances.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.31.1-31.15
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• 2022

A pandemic of respiratory disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is reported prostate cancer patients are susceptible to COVID-19 infection. To understand the possible causes of prostate cancer patients' increased vulnerability and mortality from COVID-19 infection, we focused on the two most important agents, transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2) and the C-X-C motif 10 (CXCL10). When SARS-CoV-2 binds to the host cell via S protein-angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor interaction, TMPRSS2 contributes in the proteolytic cleavage of the S protein, allowing the viral and cellular membranes to fuse. CXCL10 is a cytokine found in elevated level in both COVID-19 and cancer-causing cytokine storm. We discovered that TMPRSS2 and CXCL10 are overexpressed in prostate cancer and COVID-19 using the UALCAN and GEPIA2 datasets. The functional importance of TMPRSS2 and CXCL10 in prostate cancer development was then determined by analyzing the frequency of genetic changes in their amino acid sequences using the cBioPortal online portal. Finally, we used the PANTHER database to examine the pathology of the targeted genes. We observed that TMPRSS2 and CXCL10, together with their often co-expressed genes, are important in the binding activity and immune responses in prostate cancer and COVID-19 infection, respectively. Finally, we found that TMPRSS2 and CXCL10 are two putative biomarkers responsible for the increased vulnerability and fatality of prostate cancer patients to COVID-19.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2016

Determining the infection history of living organisms is essential for understanding the evolution of infection agents with their host, particularly for key aspects such as immunity. Viruses, which can spread between individuals and often cause disease, have been widely examined. The increasing availability of fish genome sequences has provided specific insights into the diversity and host distribution of retroviruses in fish. The shortspine spurdog (Squalus mitsukurii) is an important elasmobranch species; this medium-sized dogfish typically lives at depths of 100~500 m. However, the retroviral envelope polyprotein in dogfish has not been examined. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify and analyze the retroviral envelope polyprotein in various tissues of dogfish. The 1334-base pair full-length novel cDNA of dogfish envelope polyprotein (dEnv) was obtained by 3' and 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA end analysis from S. mitsukurii. The open reading frame showed a complete coding sequence of 815 base pairs with a deduced peptide sequence of 183 amino acids that exhibited 34~50% identity with other fish and bird species. It was also expressed according to reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction in the kidney, liver, intestine, and lung, but not in the gill. This distribution can be assessed by identifying and analyzing endogenous retroviruses in fish, which consists of three main genes: gag, pol and env. Dogfish envelope polyprotein sequence is likely important in evolution and induces rearrangements, altering the regulatory and coding sequences. This is the first report of the identification and molecular characterization of retroviral envelope polyprotein in various tissues of S. mitsukurii.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.287-292
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• 2024

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the predominant primary hepatic malignancy, is the prime contributor to mortality. Despite the availability of multiple surgical interventions, patient outcomes remain suboptimal. Immunotherapies have emerged as effective strategies for HCC treatment with multiple clinical advantages. However, their curative efficacy is not always satisfactory, limited by the dysfunctional T cell status. Thus, there is a pressing need to discover novel potential biomarkers indicative of T cell exhaustion (Tex) for personalized immunotherapies. One promising target is Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2 (CDKN2) gene, a key cell cycle regulator with aberrant expression in HCC. However, its specific involvement remains unclear. Herein, we assessed the potential of CDKN2 expression as a promising biomarker for HCC progression, particularly for exhausted T cells. Our transcriptome analysis of CDKN2 in HCC revealed its significant role involving in HCC development. Remarkably, single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed a notable correlation between CDKN2 expression, particularly CDKN2A, and Tex markers, which was further validated by a human cohort study using human HCC tissue microarray, highlighting CDKN2 expression as a potential biomarker for Tex within the intricate landscape of HCC progression. These findings provide novel perspectives that hold promise for addressing the unmet therapeutic need within HCC treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1420-1427
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• 2023

The forkhead domain genes are important for development and morphogenesis in fungi. Six forkhead genes fkhA-fkhF have been found in the genome of the model filamentous Ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans. To identify the fkh gene(s) associated with fungal development, we examined mRNA levels of these six genes and found that the level of fkhB and fkhD mRNA was significantly elevated during asexual development and in conidia. To investigate the roles of FkhB and FkhD, we generated fkhB and fkhD deletion mutants and complemented strains and investigated their phenotypes. The deletion of fkhB, but not fkhD, affected fungal growth and both sexual and asexual development. The fkhB deletion mutant exhibited decreased colony size with distinctly pigmented (reddish) asexual spores and a significantly lower number of conidia compared with these features in the wild type (WT), although the level of sterigmatocystin was unaffected by the absence of fkhB. Furthermore, the fkhB deletion mutant produced sexual fruiting bodies (cleistothecia) smaller than those of WT, implying that the fkhB gene is involved in both asexual and sexual development. In addition, fkhB deletion reduced fungal tolerance to heat stress and decreased trehalose accumulation in conidia. Overall, these results suggest that fkhB plays a key role in proper fungal growth, development, and conidial stress tolerance in A. nidulans.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2006

In higher plants, P450s participate in the biosynthesis of many important secondary metabolites. Here we reported for the first time the isolation of a new cytochrome P450 cDNA that expressed in a stem-specific manner from Camptotheca acuminata (designated as CaSS), a native medicinal plant species in China, using RACE-PCR. The full-length cDNA of CaSS was 1735 bp long containing a 1530 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 509 amino acids. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that CASS contained a heme-binding domain PFGXGRRXCX and showed homology to other plant cytochrome P450 monooxygenases and hydroxylases. Southern blotting analysis revealed that there was only one copy of the CaSS present in the genome of Camptotheca acuminata. Northern blotting analysis revealed that CaSS expressed, in a tissue-specific manner, highly in stem and lowly in root, leaf and flower. Our study suggests that CaSS is likely to be involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.33.1-33.11
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• 2023

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial, polygenic, and metabolically complicated disease. A large number of genes are responsible for the biogenesis of T2DM and calpain10 (CAPN10) is one of them. The association of numerous CAPN10 genetic polymorphisms in the development of T2DM has been widely studied in different populations and noticed inconclusive results. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the plausible association of CAPN10 polymorphism SNP-19 (rs3842570) with T2DM and T2DM-related anthropometric and metabolic traits in the Noakhali region of Bangladesh. This case-control study included 202 T2DM patients and 75 healthy individuals from different places in Noakhali. A significant association (p < 0.05) of SNP-19 with T2DM in co-dominant 2R/3R vs. 3R/3R (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; p=0.0014) and dominant (2R/3R) + (2R/2R) vs. 3R/3R (OR, 2.47; p=0.0011) genetic models was observed. High-risk allele 2R also showed a significant association with T2DM in the allelic model (OR, 1.67; p=0.0109). The genotypic frequency of SNP-19 variants showed consistency with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p > 0.05). Additionally, SNP-19 genetic variants showed potential associations with the anthropometric and metabolic traits of T2DM patients in terms of body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Our approach identifies the 2R/3R genotype of SNP-19 as a significant risk factor for biogenesis of T2DM in the Noakhali population. Furthermore, a large-scale study could be instrumental to correlate this finding in overall Bangladeshi population.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.233-241
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• 2005

Plants have considerable advantages for the production of antigenic proteins because they provide an inexpensive source of protein and an easy administration of vaccine. Since a publication describing edible plant vaccine of HBsAg in 1992, a number of laboratories around the world have studied the use of plants as the bioreactor to produce antigenic proteins of human or animal pathogens. Over the last ten years, these works have been mainly focused on three major strategies for the production of antigenic proteins in plants: stable genetic transformation of either the nuclear or plastid genome, or transient expression in plants using viral vectors. As many antigenic proteins have been expressed in tobacco, also several laboratories have succeeded to express genes encoding antigenic proteins in other crop plants: potato, tomato, maize, carrot, soybean and spinach. At present many works for the production of edible plant vaccine against bacteria-mediated diseases have mostly performed the studies of enterotoxins and adhesion proteins. Also the development of new-type antigens (pili, flagella, surface protein, other enterotoxin and exotoxin etc.) is required for various targets and more efficacy to immunize against microorganism pathogens. Many works mostly studied in experimental animals had good results, and phase I clinical trial of LTB clearly indicated its immunogenic ability. On the other hand, edible plant vaccines have still problems remained to be solved. In addition to the accumulation of sufficient antigen in plants, human health, environment and agriculture regulation should be proven. Also oral tolerance, the physiological response to food antigens and commensal flora is the induction of a state of specific immunological unresponsiveness, needs to be addressed before plant-derived vaccine becomes a therapeutic option.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.203-211
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• 2020

Objective: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the major microorganisms responsible for subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle. The present study was designed with the aim to explore the DNA methylation patterns using the Fluorescence-labeled methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (F-MSAP) techniques in a S. aureus-infected mouse model. Methods: A total of 12 out-bred Institute of Cancer Research female mice ranging from 12 to 13 weeks-old were selected to construct a mastitis model. F-MSAP analysis was carried out to detect fluctuations of DNA methylation between control group and S. aureus mastitis group. Results: Visible changes were observed in white cell counts in milk, percentage of granulocytes, percentage of lymphocytes, CD⁴⁺/CD⁸⁺ ratio (CD⁴⁺/CD⁸⁺), and histopathology of mice pre- and post-challenge with S. aureus. These findings showed the suitability of the S. aureus-infected mouse model. A total of 369 fragments was amplified from udder tissue samples from the two groups (S. aureus-infected mastitis group and control group) using eight pairs of selective primers. Results indicated that the methylation level of mastitis mouse group was higher than that in the control group. In addition, NCK-associated protein 5 (Nckap5) and transposon MTD were identified to be differentially methylated through secondary polymerase chain reaction and sequencing in the mastitis group. These observations might play an important role in the development of S. aureus mastitis. Conclusion: Collectively, our study suggests that the methylation modification in Nckap5 and transposon MTD might be considered as epigenetic markers in resistance to S. aureus-infected mastitis and provided a new insight into S. aureus mastitis research in dairy industry and public health.