• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2395-2399
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• 2016

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cytokines play an important role in the regulation of immune responses and defense against viral infections. Human interleukin 6 (IL6) is a multifunctional cytokine that participates in these processes. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the IL6-174 gene polymorphism in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as compared with healthy controls in an Iranian population. Materials and Methods: Totals of 297 HBV patients and 368 control individuals were evaluated. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and the SSP-PCR (sequence specific primer-polymerase chain reaction) method was applied for genotyping. Results: The frequencies of genotypes C/C, G/G and C/G in HBV cases were 4.7%, 34.3%, 60.9% and in controls were 12.8%, 39.7% and 47.6%, respectively. The frequencies of G and C allele in patients and controls were 78.1%, 21.9% and 67.4%, 32.6 % respectively. There was a significant difference in the frequencies of G/G genotype (CI=1.8-7.1, OR=3.47, P=0.00001) and G allele (CI=1.34-2.23, OR=1.72, P=0.0001) between HBV patients and the control group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the IL6-174 C/G genotype and the G allele are strongly associated with susceptibility to HBV infection. Demographic information showed that most of the subjects were male (74.4%). According to high frequency of G/G genotype in male participants (63.1%) men probably are more susceptible to hepatitis than women.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.421-431
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• 2021

It has been suggested that some toothpastes have the potential to promote hair growth. However, there was no scientific verification on the hair growth effect of toothpaste and no scientific report on major active ingredients in toothpaste. In this work, toothpaste and its constituents were applied topically over the shaved skin of C57BL/6 mice and evaluated. Results indicated that toothpaste showed hair growth effect. Also, the effect of toothpaste constituents on the proliferation rate of keratinocyte cells was investigated. The mixture solution of 𝛼-tocopherol acetate, l-menthol, and stevioside, each of that was known to promote hair growth and other toothpaste constituents were applied topically on mouse skin. When the mixture solution was included, hair growth effect was observed in mice. Transcriptome analysis was performed using the dorsal epidermis of mice from the group treated with toothpaste, the mixture which are presumed to be active ingredients for hair growth, and from mice used for the control group. As a result of analyzing the genes whose expression was significantly changed in each treatment group, the gene patterns of the two groups were very similar. Also, when functional genomic analysis was performed, genes with functions related to hair growth regulation showed a high extent of the change in both groups. Hair growth-related genes whose expression was changed in both groups included keratin, keratin-related proteins, forkhead box, and sonic hedgehog. Therefore, the hair growth effect of toothpaste is thought to be due to the effect of a mixture of 𝛼-tocopherol acetate, l-menthol, and stevioside.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2019

DNA methylation is involved in diverse processes in bacteria, including maintenance of genome integrity and regulation of gene expression. CcrM, the DNA methyltransferase conserved in Alphaproteobacterial species, carries out $N^6$-adenine or $N^4$-cytosine methyltransferase activities using S-adenosyl methionine as a co-substrate. Celeribacter marinus IMCC12053 from the Alphaproteobacterial group was isolated from a marine environment. Single molecule real-time sequencing method (SMRT) was used to detect the methylation patterns of C. marinus IMCC12053. Gibbs motif sampler program was used to observe the conversion of adenosine of 5'-GANTC-3' to $N^6$-methyladenosine and conversion of $N^4$-cytosine of 5'-GpC-3' to $N^4$-methylcytosine. Exocyclic DNA methyltransferase from the genome of strain IMCC12053 was chosen using phylogenetic analysis and $N^4$-cytosine methyltransferase was cloned. IPTG inducer was used to confirm the methylation activity of DNA methylase, and cloned into a pQE30 vector using dam-/dcm- E. coli as the expression host. The genomic DNA and the plasmid carrying methylase-encoding sequences were extracted and cleaved with restriction enzymes that were sensitive to methylation, to confirm the methylation activity. These methylases protected the restriction enzyme site once IPTG-induced methylases methylated the chromosome and plasmid, harboring the DNA methylase. In this study, cloned exocyclic DNA methylases were investigated for potential use as a novel type of GpC methylase for molecular biology and epigenetics.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.2261-2265
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• 2007

Prevention of thermal aggregation of the denatured protein by the group II chaperonin from the aerobic hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 (ApcpnA) has been investigated. ApcpnA exists as a homo-oligomer in a ring structure, which protects thermal aggregation of the chemically denatured bovine rhodanese at 50 oC. ApcpnA alone is not sufficient for chaperonin activity, but the chaperonin activity is greatly enhanced in the presence of manganese ion and ATP. Compared to the mesophilic chaperonin GroEL/GroES, ApcpnA is more activated at a higher temperature and protects the aggregation-prone unfolded state of the denatured rhodanese from thermal aggregation. Binding of ATP is sufficient for ApcpnA to perform the chaperonin function in vitro, but hydrolysis of ATP is not necessarily required. We propose that utilization of Mn2+ and adenosine nucleotide regardless of ATP hydrolysis may be one of peculiar properties of archaeal chaperonins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.206-212
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• 2004

The genes that are located within the odvp-6e/odv-e56 region of the Choristoneura fumiferana granulovirus (ChfuGV) were identified by sequencing the 11 kb BamHI restriction fragment on the ChfuGV genome. The global GC content that was calculated from the data obtained from this genomic region was 34.96%. The open-reading frames (ORFs), located within the odvp-6e/odv-e56 region, are presented and compared to the equivalent ORFs that are located at the same region in other GVs. This region is composed of 14 ORFs, including three ORFs that are unique to ChfuGV with no obvious homologues in other baculoviruses as well as eleven ORFs with homologues to granuloviral ORFs, such as granulin, CfORF2, pk-1, ie-1, odv-e18, p49, and odvp-6e/odv-e56. In this study, the conceptual products of seven major conserved ORFs (granulin, CfORF2, IE-1, ODV-E18, p49 and ODVP-6E/ODV-E56) were used in order to construct phylogenetic trees. Our results show that granuloviruses can be grouped in 2 distinct groups as follows: Group I; Choristoneura fumiferana granulovirus (ChfuGV), Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV), Phthorimaea operculella granulovirus (PhopGV), and Adoxophyes orana granulovirus (AoGV). Group II; Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus (XcGV), Plutella xylostella granulovirus (PxGV), and Trichoplusia ni granulovirus (TnGV). The ChfuGV conserved proteins are most closely related to those of CpGV, PhopGV, and AoGV. Comparative studies, performed on gene arrangements within this region of genomes, demonstrated that three GVs from group I maintain similar gene arrangements.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 1997

To study the regulation of porcine follicular cell apostosis by gonadotropin, steroid, and nitric oxide, we analyzed DNA fragmentation, the hallmark of apoptosis, and nitrite production of porcine granulosa cells. Dissected indiidual follicles from ovary were separated in size (small, 2-3 mm; medium, 5-6 mm; large, 7-8 mm) and isolated granulosa cells were classified morpholocally as atretic or nonatretic. Nitrite concentration was measured by mixing follicular fluids with an equal volume of Griess reagent. Follicular nitric oxide (NO) concentration of healthy follicles was higher than that of atretic follicles. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation was suppressed in non-apoptotic granulosa cells. Follicular apoptosis was induced by androgen but prevented by gonadotropin in vitro. Apoptosis was confined to the granulosa cells. But it was not clear whether apoptosis of granulosa cells were isolated, incubated with or without gonadotropin, androgen and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hrs. Cultured granulosa cells were used to extract genomic DNA and culture media was asssayed for nitrite concentration. Nitrite production of culture media was increased, while apoptotic DNA fragmentation was suppressed in PMSG, hCG, testosterone+SNP and SNP treated groups. Nitrite concentration in culture media was decreased, but apoptotic DNA fragmentation was induced in testosterone treated group. These data suggest that NO production and apoptosis may be involved of granulosa cell apoptosis induced by testosterone.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 1996

Small GTP-binding proteins are divided into three major group: Ras, Rho and Ypt/Rab. They have the conserved regions designed G1 to G5 that are critical in GDP/GTP exchange, GTP-induced conformational change and GTP hydrolysis. We isolated and characterized genomic DNA or cDNAfragments encoding G1 to G3 domains of small GTP-binding protein Rab and Rho from several plant species using two different PCR-based cloning strategies. Seven rab DNA fragments were isolated from 4 different plants, mung-bean, tobacco, rice and pepper using two degenerate primers corresponding to the GTP-binding domain G1 and G3 in small GTP-binding proteins. The amino acid sequences among these rab DNA fragments and other known small GTP-binding proteins shows that they belong to the Ypt/Rab family. Six rho DNA fragments were isolated from 5 different plants, mung-bean, rice, Arabidopsis, Allium and Gonyaulax using the nested PCR method that involves four degenerate primers corresponding to the GTP-binding domain G1, G3 and G4. The rho DNA fragments cloned show more than 90% homology to each other. Sequence comparison between plant and other known Rho family genes suggests that they are closely related (67 to 82% amino acid identity). Sequence analysis and southern blot analysis of rab and rho in mung-bean suggest than thses genes are encoded by multigene family in mung-bean.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2006

"Determinate" and "indeterminate" inflorescences in plants are controlled by a single recessive gene, for example, SELF-PRUNING (SP) in Solanum lycopersicum, TERMINAL FLOWER1 in Arabidopsis, CENTRORADIALIS in Antirrhinum, and CENTRORADIALIS-like gene in tobacco. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an indeterminate species in which shoots grow indefinitely. In this study, we cloned and characterized the pepper SP-like gene (CaSP). RT-PCR revealed that the CaSP transcript accumulates to higher levels in floral buds than in other organs. Comparison of genomic DNA and cDNA sequences from indeterminate and determinate pepper plants revealed the insertion of a single base in the first exon of CaSP in the determinate pepper plants. CaSP is annotated in linkage group 8 (chromosome 6) of the SNU2 pepper genetic map and showed similar synteny to SP in tomato. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing CaSP displayed late-flowering phenotypes similar to the phenotypes caused by overexpression of CaSP orthologs in other plants. Collectively, these results suggest that pepper CaSP is an ortholog of SP in tomato.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.487-492
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• 2004

The extent of codon usage in the protein coding genes of the mycobacteriophage, Bxz1, and its plating bacteria, M. smegmatis, were determined, and it was observed that the codons ending with either G and / or C were predominant in both the organisms. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that in both organisms, the genes were separated along the first major explanatory axis according to their expression levels and their genomic GC content at the synonymous third positions of the codons. The second major explanatory axis differentiates the genes according to their genome type. A comparison of the relative synonymous codon usage between 20 highly- and 20 lowly expressed genes from Bxz1 identified 21 codons, which are statistically over represented in the former group of genes. Further analysis found that the Bxz1- specific tRNA species could recognize 13 out of the 21 over represented synonymous codons, which incorporated 13 amino acid residues preferentially into the highly expressed proteins of Bxz1. In contrast, seven amino acid residues were preferentially incorporated into the lowly expressed proteins by 10 other tRNA species of Bxz1. This analysis predicts for the first time that the Bxz1-specific tRNA species modulates the optimal expression of its proteins during development.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.316-322
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• 2001

Arylsulfate sulfotransferase (ASST) transfers a sulfate group from a phenolic sulfate ester to a phenolic acceptor substrate. In the present study, the gene encoding ASST was cloned from a genomic library copy of Citrobacter freundii, subcloned into the vector pGEM3Zf(-) and sequenced. Sequencing revealed two contiguous open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2) on the same strand and based on amino acid sequence homologyl they were designated as astA and dsbA, respectively. The amino acid sequence of astA deduced from C. freundii was highly similar to that of the Salmonella typhimurium, Enterobacter amnigenus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas putida, and Campylobacter jejuni, encoded by the astA genes. However, the ASST activity assay revealed different acceptor specificities. Using p-nitrophenyl sulfate (PNS) as a donor substrate, $\alpha$-naphthol was found to be the best acceptor substrate, followed by phenol, resorcinol, p-acetaminophen, tyramine and tyrosine.