• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.79.2-80
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.243-249
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• 2007

The centromere is a highly differentiated structure of the chromosome that fulfills a multitude of essential mitotic and meiotic functions. Alphoid DNA (${\alpha}$-satellite) is the most abundant family of repeated DNA found at the centromere of all human chromosomes, and chromosomes of primates in general. The most important parts in the development of Human Artificial Chromosomes (HACs), are the isolation and maintenance of stability of centromeric region. For isolation of this region, we could use the targeting hook with alphoid DNA repeat and cloned by Transformation-Associated Recombination (TAR) cloning technique in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The method includes rolling-circle amplification (RCA) of repeats in vitro to 5 kb-length and elongation of the RCA products by homologous recombination in yeast. Four types of $35\;kb{\sim}50\;kb$ of centromeric DNA repeat arrays (2, 4, 5, 6 mer) are used to examine the stability of repeats in homologous recombination mutant strains (rad51, rad52, and rad54). Following the transformation into wild type, rad51 and rad54 mutant strains, there were frequent changes in inserted size. A rad52 mutant strain showed extremely low transformation frequency, but increased stability of centromeric DNA repeat arrays at least 3 times higher than other strains. Based on these results, the incidence of large mutations could be reduced using a rad52 mutant strain in maintenance of centromeric DNA repeat arrays. This genetic method may use more general application in the maintenance of tandem repeats in construction of HAC.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2010

Monogenic diseases are resulted from modifications in a single gene of human cells. Because their treatment with pharmacological medicine have a temporary effect, continuous nursing care and retreatment are required. Gene therapy, gene targeting and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) are considered permanent treatment methods of them. In gene therapy, however, retroviral vectors that have potential toxicity caused by random insertion of harmful virus are used as vehicles for transferring genetic materials. On the other hand, gene targeting could replace and remove the modified gene though homologous recombination (HR) induced by site-specific endonucleases. This short review provides a brief overview on the recently tailored endonucleses with high selectivity for HR.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 2016

Rad51 is a key component of homologous recombination (HR) to repair DNA double-strand breaks and it forms Rad51 recombinase filaments of broken single-stranded DNA to promote HR. In addition to its role in DNA repair and cell cycle progression, Rad51 contributes to the reprogramming process during the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells. In light of this, we performed reprogramming experiments to examine the effect of co-expression of Rad51 and four reprogramming factors, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, on the reprogramming efficiency. Co-expression of Rad51 significantly increased the numbers of alkaline phosphatase-positive colonies and embryonic stem cell-like colonies during the process of reprogramming. Co-expression ofRad51 significantly increased the expression of epithelial markers at an early stage of reprogramming compared with control cells. Phosphorylated histone H2AX (${\gamma}H2AX$), which initiates the DNA double-strand break repair system, was highly accumulated in reprogramming intermediates upon co-expression of Rad51. This study identified a novel role of Rad51 in enhancing the reprogramming efficiency, possibly by facilitating mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and by regulating a DNA damage repair pathway during the early phase of the reprogramming process.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 1999

Fragmentation vectors are used to analyze function and genomic structure of a gene of interest by creating deletion derivatives of large fragments of genomic DNA cloned as yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs). Herein, we developed a new hicistronic fragmentation vector that contains internal ribosomal entry sile (IRES) of encephalomyocarditis vin~s (EMCV) and $\beta$-galactosidase as a reporter gene. This vector system provides a novcl loo1 to analyze expression patterns of a gene of interest due to simultaneous expression of a target gene as well as $\beta$-galactosidase driven from a single message. In addition, the bicistronic fragmentation vector contains four rare-cutting restriction enzyme sites in the polycloning sites which can be used to conveniently insert any kinds of genes and therefore facilitates targeting DNA scgments into YAC by means of homologous recombination. This approach establishes a paradigm for manipulation of mammalian DNA segments and characterization of expression and regulatory regions of mammalian gene cloned as YAC.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.362-367
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• 2004

For better understanding of the host infection mechanism of Vibrio, a Vibrio parahaemolyticus collagenase mutant was generated by insertional inactivation of a vppC gene encoding extracellular collagenase. A recombinant DNA containing vppC::nptII was cloned into a suicide plasmid pDMS197, resulted in pVCM03. The recombinant suicide plasmid pVCM03 contained in E. coli $\chi$7213 was transferred to a wild-type V. parahaemolyticus 04 through conjugation. The recombinant vppC::nptII DNA in pVCM03 was exchanged with wild-type allele by homologous recombination resulting vppC mutant, V. parahaemolyticus CM. The mutant was selected and screened on TCBS media containing 10% sucrose and kanamycin. The mutation by allele exchange was confirmed with the comparison of the size of DNAs amplified by PCR. V. parahaemolyticus CM showed at least 4-fold less collagen-degrading activity than those of wild-type, and the mutant exhibited less cytotoxicity than that of wild-type in MTT assay.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.453-475
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• 1998

During the 100 years since the initial discovery of meiotic phenomenon many brilliant aspects have been elucidated, but further researches based on light microscopy alone as an experimental tool have been found to have some limits and shortcomings. By the use of electron microscopy and armed with the advanced knowledges on modern genetics and biochemistry it has been possible to applu molecular technology in gaining information on the detailed aspects of meiosis. As synapsis takes place, a three-layered proteinous structure called the synatonemal complex starts to form in the space between the homologous chromosomes. To be more precise, it begins to form along the paired chromosomes early in the prophase I of meiotic division. The mechanism that leads to precise point-by-point pairing between homologous chromocomes division. The mechamism that leads to precise point-by-point pairing between homologous chromosomes remains to be ascertained. Several items of information, however, suggest that chromsome alignment leading to synapsis may be mediated somehow by the nuclear membrane. Pachytene bivalents in eukaryotes are firmly attached to the inner niclear membrane at both termini. This attached begins with unpaired leptotene chromosomes that already have developed a lateral element. Once attached, the loptotene chromosomes begin to synapse. A number of different models have been proposed to account for genetic recombination via exchange between DNA strands following their breakage and subsequent reunion in new arrangement. One of the models accounting for molecular recombination leading to chromatid exchange and chiasma formation was first proposed in 1964 by Holliday, and 30 years later still a modified version of his model is favored. Nicks are made by endomuclease at corresponding sites on one strant of each DNA duplex in nonsister chromatid of a bivalent during prophase 1 of meiosis. The nicked strands loop-out and two strands reassociate into an exchanged arrangement, which is sealed by ligase. The remaining intact strand of each duplex is nicked at a site opposite the cross-over, and the exposed ends are digested by exonuclease action. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the effort to define the molecular and organization features of the centromere region in the yeast chromosome. Centromere core region of the DNA duplex is flanked by 15 densely packed nucleosomes on ons side and by 3 packed nucleosomes on the other side, that is, 2000 bp on one side and 400 400 bp in the other side. All the telomeres of a given species share a common DNA sequence. Two ends of each chromosome are virtually identical. At the end of each chromosome there exist two kinds of DNA sequence" simple telpmeric sequences and telpmere-associated sequencies. Various studies of telomere replication, function, and behabior are now in progress, all greatly aided by molecular methods. During nuclear division in mitosis as well as in meiosis, the nucleili disappear by the time of metaphase and reappear during nuclear reorganizations in telophase. When telophase begins, small nucleoli form at the NOR of each nucleolar-organizing chromosome, enlarge, and fuse to form one or more large nucleoli. Nucleolus is a special structure attached top a specific nucleolar-organizing region located at a specific site of a particular chromosome. The nucleolus is a vertical factory for the synthesis of rRNAs and the assenbly of ribosome subunit precursors.sors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.656-661
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• 2007

In this report, we describe an optimized method for generation of ephA8 BAC transgenic mice expressing the lacZ reporter gene under ephA8 regulatory sequences. First, we constructed a targeting vector that carries a 1.2 kb ephA8 DNA upstream of its first exon, a lacZ expression cassette, a kanamycin cassette, and a 0.7 kb ephA8 DNA downstream of its first exon. Second, the targeting vector was electroporated into cells containing the ephA8 BAC and pKOBEGA, in which recombinases induce a homologous recombination between the ephA8 BAC DNA and the targeting vector. Third, the FLP plasmid expressing the Flipase was electroporated into these bacteria to eliminate a kanamycin cassette from the recombinant BAC DNA. The appropriate structures of the modified ephA8 BAC DNA were confirmed by Southern analysis. Finally, BAC transgenic mouse embryos were generated by pronuclear injection of the recombinant BAC DNA. Whole mount X-gal staining revealed that the lacZ reporter expression is restricted to the anterior region of the developing midbrain in each transgenic embryo. These results indicate that the ephA8 BAC DNA contains most, if not all, regulatory sequences to direct temporal and spatial expression of the lacZ gene in vivo.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.390-400
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• 2012

Eight potato-producing provinces of Iran were surveyed during the growing seasons of 2004-2006 to detect the presence of Tomato yellow fruit ring virus (TYFRV), a tentative species in the genus Tospovirus. A total of 1,957 potato leaf samples were collected from plants with tospovirus-like symptoms of chlorotic or necrotic spots, chlorosis and necrosis. The samples were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using TYFRV-specific antibodies. Among those tested, 498 samples (25.4%) were found to be infected with the virus. The virus was detected in 72.4% of the potato fields in all provinces surveyed. Thirteen potato isolates of TYFRV were selected for further biological and molecular studies. Based on their reactions on Nicotiana tabacum plants, the isolates were separated into two groups, namely L (local infection) and N (systemic infection). The nucleotide sequences of the nucleoprotein (N) genes of the isolates were determined and compared with the homologous sequences in Genbank. No recombination evidence was found in the isolates using different recombination-detecting programs. In the phylogenetic tree, the potato isolates fell into two major groups: IRN-1 and IRN-2 corresponding to the two biologically separated groups. This study shows for the first time the biological and phylogenetic relationships of geographically distant TYFRV isolates from potatoes in the mid-Eurasian country of Iran.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.200-205
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• 2023

DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase family is a well-known player in repairing DNA double-strand break through non-homologous end joining pathway. This mechanism has allowed us to understand its critical role in T and B cell development through V(D)J recombination and class switch recombination, respectively. We have also learned that the defects in these mechanisms lead to the severely combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Here we highlight some of the latest evidence where DNA-PKcs has been shown to localize not only in the nucleus but also in the cytoplasm, phosphorylating various proteins involved in cellular metabolism and cytokine production. While it is an exciting time to unveil novel functions of DNA-PKcs, one should carefully choose experimental models to study DNA-PKcs as the experimental evidence has been shown to differ between cells of defective DNA-PKcs and those of DNA-PKcs knockout. Moreover, while there are several DNA-PK inhibitors currently being evaluated in the clinical trials in an attempt to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, multiple functions and subcellular localization of DNA-PKcs in various types of cells may further complicate the effects at the cellular and organismal level.