• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.84-86
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• 2008

The Tetrahymena group I intron has been shown to employ a trans-splicing reaction and has been modified to specifically target and replace human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) RNA with a suicide gene transcript, resulting in the induction of selective cytotoxicity in cancer cells that express the target RNA, in animal models as well as in cell cultures. In this study, we evaluated the target RNA specificity of trans-splicing phenomena by the group I intron in mice that were intraperitoneally inoculated with hTERT-expressing human cancer cells to validate the anti-cancer therapeutic applicability of the group I intron. To this end, an adenoviral vector that encoded for the hTERT-targeting group I intron was constructed and systemically injected into the animal. 5'-end RACE-PCR and sequencing analyses of the trans-spliced cDNA clones revealed that all of the analyzed products in the tumor tissue of the virus-infected mice resulted from reactions that were generated only with the targeted hTERT RNA. This study implies the in vivo target specificity of the trans-splicing group I intron and hence suggests that RNA replacement via a trans-splicing reaction by the group I intron is a potent anti-cancer genetic approach.

• ALGAE
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.183-190
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• 2003

Except for a group I intron in trnL-uaa occuring in eubacteria and plastids, group I introns are rarely documented in plastid genomes. Here, we report that a green alga, Caulerpa sertularioides, contains three group IA3 introns in the 16S gene (cpSSU), CS-cpSSU.i1, CS-cpSSU.i2 and CS-cpSSU.i3. Each intron has an open reading frame with LAGLIDADG motifs. CS-cpSSU.i1orf and CS-cpSSU.i3orf occur at Loop 6 in the intron secondary structure and CScpSSU. i2orf at Loop 8. CS-cpSSU.i1orf and CS-cpSSU.i2orf contain both LAGLI-DADG motifs but CS-cpSSU.i3orf has only one. CS-cpSSU.i1 and CS-cpSSU.i2 share the insetion sites and the ORFs at Loop 6 and 8 with CpSSU·1 and CpSSU·2 introns of Chlamydomonas pallidostigmatica (Chlorophyceae). In contrast, CS-cpSSU.i3, containing 28 copies of GAAATAT at Loop 6, is a novel intron found only in Caulerpa sertularioides. Possible scenarios of the evolution of the three introns and their possible use in systematic research are discussed.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.211-217
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• 1999

표적 RNA 의 구조가 Tetrahymena thermophila 의 group I intron 에 의한 trans-splicing 반응에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위해 강력한 stem-loop 형태의 안정된 구조를 갖고 있는 표적 RNA mapping 분석 방법을 이용한 결과 in vitro 뿐만 아니라 in vivo 에서도 stem 부위의 염기들에 반해 loop 부위의 염기들이 ribozyme 에 의해 잘 인지되었으며 이러한 결과는 그러한 부위들을 인지할 수 있는 ribozyme 들에 의한 trans-cleavage 그리고 trans-splicing 반응을 수행함으로써 검증하였다. 또한 이러한 trans-splicing 반응은 정확하게 일어남을 반응 산물의 염기서열 결정을 통해 확인하였다. 따라서 표적 RNA 의 구조가 in vitro 및 in vivo 에서의 ribozyme 활성에 매우 중요한 요인임을 확인하였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.23-27
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• 2008

Self-splicing group I introns in tRNA anticodon loops have been found in diverse groups of bacteria. In this work, we identified $tRNA^{fMet}$ group I introns in six strains of marine Synechococcus elongatus. Introns with sizes around 280 bp were consistently obtained in all the strains tested. In a phylogenetic analysis using the nucleotide sequence determined in this study with other cyanobacterial $tRNA^{fMet}$ and $tRNA^{Leu}$ intron sequences, the Synechococcus sequence was grouped together with the sequences from other unicellular cyanobacterial strains. Interestingly, the phylogenetic tree inferred from the intronic sequences clearly separates the different tRNA introns, suggesting that each family has its own evolutionary history.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.253-257
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• 1999

Cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine과 spermine이 spectinomycin에 의한 T4 파지 thymidylate synthase 유전자(td) intron의 splicing 억제에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. Polyamine이 존재하지 않는 상태에서 7mM spectinomycin은 splicing rate를 약 40% 감소시켰다. 사용한 농도 범위(0.1~5mM)에서 cadaverine은 splicing rate를 감소시켰으나, putrescine은 0.5mM 농도에서 약 13% 정도의 splicing rate를 증가시켰다. Spermidine은 0.5mM 농도에서 약 11% 정도의 splicing rate를 증가시켰으며, sperimine은 0.01mM 농도에서 약 16% 정도의 splicing rate을 증가시켰다. 시험한 polyamine 중에서 특히 sperimine은 가장 낮은 농도에서 spectinomycin에 의한 억제반응을 극복하는 최고의 활성효과를 나타냈다. 이와 같은 억제 회복 효과는 polyamine에 의한 td intron 리보자임의 구조적 안정성에 기인하는 것으로 추정된다.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제3권4호
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• pp.172-174
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• 2005

Recent anti-cancer approaches have been based to target tumor-specifically associated and/or causative molecules such as RNAs or proteins. As this specifically targeted anti-cancer modulator, we have previously described a novel human cancer gene therapeutic agent that is Tetrahymena group I intron-based trans-splicing ribozyme which can reprogram and replace human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) RNA to selectively induce tumor-specific cytotoxicity in cancer cells expressing the target RNA. Moreover, the specific ribozyme has been shown to efficiently retard tumor tissues in xenograft mice which had been inoculated with hTERT-expressing human cancer cells. In this study, we assessed specificity of trans-splicing reaction in cells to evaluate the therapeutic feasibility of the specific ribozyme. In order to analyze the trans-spliced products by the specific ribozyme in hTERT-positive cells, RT, 5'-end RACE-PCR, and sequencing reactions of the spliced RNAs were employed. Then, whole analyzed products resulted from reactions only with the hTERT RNA. This study suggested that the developed ribozyme perform highly specific RNA replacement of the target RNA in cells, hence trans-splicing ribozyme will be one of specific agents for genetic approach to revert cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.340-344
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• 2003

The group I intron from Tetrahymena thermophila has been demonstrated to employ splicing reactions with its substrate RNA in the trans configuration. Moreover, we have recently shown that the transsplicing group I ribozyme can replace HCV-specific transcripts with a new RNA that exerts anti-viral activity. In this study, we explored the potential use of RNA replacement for cancer treatment by developing trans-splicing group I ribozymes, which could replace tumor-associated RNAs with the RNA sequence attached to the 3' end of the ribozymes. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) RNA was chosen as a target RNA because it is known as a valid cancer prognostic factor. By performing an RNA mapping strategy that is based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library, we first determined which regions of the TP RNA are accessible to ribozymes, and found that the leader sequences upstream of the AUG start codon appeared to be particularly accessible. Next, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing trans-splicing activities of several ribozymes that targeted different regions of the TP RNA. This assessment was performed to verify if the target site predicted to be accessible is truly the most accessible. The ribozyme that could target the most accessible site, identified by mapping studies, was the most active with high fidelity in vitro. Moreover, the specific trans-splicing ribozyme reacted with and altered the TP transcripts by transferring an intended 3' exon tag sequence onto the targeted TP RNA in mammalian cells with high fidelity. These results suggest that the Tetrahymena ribozyme can be utilized to replace TP RNAs in tumors with a new RNA harboring anti-cancer activity, which would revert the malignant phenotype.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.1408-1413
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• 2005

Elevated expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been implicated in various biological aspects of neoplasia such as tumor cell adhesion, metastasis, blocking of cellular immune mechanisms, and antiapoptosis function. Thus, the CEA could be an important target for anticancer therapy. In this study, we developed Tetrahymena group 1 intron-based trans-splicing ribozymes that can specifically target and replace CEA RNA. To this end, we first determined which regions of the CEA RNA were accessible to ribozymes by employing an RNA mapping strategy that was based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library. Next, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing the trans-splicing activities of several ribozymes that targeted different regions of the CEA RNA, and then the ribozyme that could target the most accessible site was observed to be the most active with high fidelity in vitro. Moreover, the specific trans-splicing ribozyme was found to react with and altered the target CEA transcripts in mammalian cells with high fidelity. These results suggest that the Tetrahymena ribozyme can be utilized to replace CEA RNAs in tumors with a new RNA-harboring anticancer activity, thereby hopefully reverting the malignant phenotype.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.13-18
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• 2002

2가 양이온($Mg^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$)이 조효소 thiamine pyrophosphate에 의한 T4파지 티민생합성 유전자 (td) 인트론 RNA의 splicing에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. $Mg^{2+}$를 30 mM까지 증가시켰을 때 splicing 활성은 농도에 비례하여 증가하였다. 그러나 $Mg^{2+}$이 존재하지 않는 상태에서 0.1-4 mM 농도에 걸쳐 $Zn^{2+}$를 사용한 결과 약 20% 정도의 splicing이 일어났다. 이때 대부분의 splicing product는 인트론-엑손2 및 엑손2였고 엑손1-엑손2는 검출되지 않았다. 그리고 4 mM 농도에서는 RNA가 대부분 가수분해되는 현상이 나타났다. $Mn^{2+}$ 이온은 사용한 농도 범위 (0.1-8 mM)에서 $Zn^{2+}$ 보다는 전반적으로 약간 증가된 splicing 활성을 보였으며 8 mM 농도에서도 약 30% 정도의 splicing 활성을 보였다. $Zn^{2+}$ 이온처럼 splicing product는 인트론-엑손2 및 엑손2였고 엑손1-엑손2는 검출되지 않았 다. 반면에 splicing반응에 10 mM $Mg^{2+}$ 를 첨가했을 때 $Zn^{2+}$ 과 $Mn^{2+}$ 이온은 평균 약 35-40% 정도 splicing활성을 촉진시키는 것으로 나타났다. 실험한 2가 양이온 중에서 특히 $Mg^{2+}$ 은 가장 낮은 농도에서 thiamine pyrophosphate 에 의한 억제반응을 극복하는 최고의 활성효과를 나타냈다. 이와 같은 억제 회복 효과는 $Mg^{2+}$에 의한 리보자임의 td intron 구조적 안정성에 기인하는 것으로 추정된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권9호
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• pp.1070-1076
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• 2009

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), which prolongs the replicative life span of cells, is highly upregulated in 85-90% of human cancers, whereas most normal somatic tissues in humans express limited levels of the telomerase activity. Therefore, TERT has been a potential target for anticancer therapy. Recently, we described a new approach to human cancer gene therapy, which is based on the group I intron of Tetrahymena thermophila. This ribozyme can specifically mediate RNA replacement of human TERT (hTERT) transcript with a new transcript harboring anticancer activity through a trans-splicing reaction, resulting in selective regression of hTERT-positive cancer cells. However, to validate the therapeutic potential of the ribozyme in animal models, ribozymes targeting inherent transcripts of the animal should be developed. In this study, we developed a Tetrahymena-based trans-splicing ribozyme that can specifically target and replace the mouse TERT (mTERT) RNA. This ribozyme can trigger transgene activity not only also in mTERT-expressing cells but hTERT-positive cancer cells. Importantly, the ribozyme could selectively induce activity of the suicide gene, a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene, in cancer cells expressing the TERT RNA and thereby specifically hamper the survival of these cells when treated with ganciclovir. The mTERT-targeting ribozyme will be useful for evaluation of the RNA replacement approach as a cancer gene therapeutic tool in the mouse model with syngeneic tumors.