• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.988-998
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• 2015

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is a well-known expression host used to express homologous and heterologous proteins in a number of industrial applications. To facilitate higher yields of proteins of interest, we constructed the pAsOP vector to express heterologous proteins in A. oryzae. pAsOP carries a selectable marker, pyrG, derived from Aspergillus nidulans, and a strong promoter and a terminator of the amyB gene derived from A. oryzae. pAsOP transformed A. oryzae efficiently via the PEG-CaCl₂-mediated transformation method. As proof of concept, green fluorescent protein (GFP) was successfully expressed in A. oryzae transformed by pAsOP-GFP. Additionally, we identified a novel fungal α-amylase (PcAmy) gene from Penicillium sp. and cloned the gene into the vector. After transformation by pAsOPPcAmy, the α-amylase PcAmy from Penicillium sp. was successfully expressed in a heterologous host system for the first time. The α-amylase activity in the A. oryzae transformant was increased by 62.3% compared with the untransformed A. oryzae control. The PcAmy protein produced in the system had an optimum pH of 5.0 and optimum temperature of 30^oC. As a cold-adapted enzyme, PcAmy shows potential value in industrial applications because of its high catalytic activity at low temperature. Furthermore, the expression vector reported in this study provides promising utility for further scientific research and biotechnological applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.2100-2105
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• 2015

Probiotic bacteria must have not only tolerance against bile salt but also no genes for antibiotic resistance. Leuconostoc citreum is a dominant lactic acid bacterium in various fermented foods, but it is not regarded as a probiotic because it lacks bile salt resistance. Therefore, we aimed to construct a bile salt-resistant L. citreum strain by transforming it with a bile salt hydrolase gene (bsh). We obtained the 1,001 bp bsh gene from the chromosomal DNA of Lactobacillus plantarum and subcloned it into the pCB4170 vector under a constitutive P710 promoter. The resulting vector, pCB4170BSH was transformed into L. citreum CB2567 by electroporation, and bile salt-resistant transformants were selected. Upon incubation with glycodeoxycholic acid sodium salt (GDCA), the L. citreum transformants grew and formed colonies, successfully transcribed the bsh gene, and expressed the BSH enzyme. The recombinant strain grew in up to 0.3% (w/v) GDCA, conditions unsuitable for the host strain. In in vitro digestion conditions of 10 mM bile salt, the transformant was over 67.6% viable, whereas only 0.8% of the host strain survived.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.731-738
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• 2015

Nematode infection in the epithelial tissue of cultured rockfish Sebastes schlegeli was first reported in 2012. Since then, nematode infections have caused serious economic losses in rockfish aquaculture on the west coast of Korea. Taxonomic and life cycle information for this parasite are currently unknown. In this study, 18S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes were used for molecular identification and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the invisible stages of this parasite. Nucleotide sequences of the 18S rRNA of the rockfish nematode showed 98% identity with that of Philometra morii. Therefore, this rockfish nematode was classified to the Philometridae family. However, we could not identify it to genus level using 18S rRNA. Its COI nucleotide sequences shared 85% and 82% identities with those of Bursaphelenchus sinensis and Philometra overstreeti, respectively. In addition, two gene-specific primer sets were designed based on the 18S rRNA gene to detect the intermediate host and nematode larvae. These primers were specific to this rockfish nematode without cross-reacting to other pathogens. The detection limit of the PCR assay using these primers was 1,000 copies of nematoda plasmid DNA. Therefore, the PCR assay described here is suitable for the detection of nematode DNA within rockfish. In addition, this PCR assay could be used to detect nematode larvae and the intermediate host.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.730-735
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• 2012

p13 gene was first described in Leucania separata multinuclear polyhedrosis virus (Ls-p13) several years ago, but the function of P13 protein has not been experimentally investigated to date. In this article, we indicated that the expression of p13 from Heliothis armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (Ha-p13) was regulated by both early and late promoter. Luciferase assay demonstrated that the activity of Ha-p13 promoter with hr4 enhancer was more than 100 times in heterologous Sf9 cells than that in nature host Hz-AM1 cells. Both Ls-P13 and Ha-P13 are transmembrane proteins. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that both mainly located in the cytoplasm membrane at 48 h. Results of RNA interference indicated that Ha-p13 was a killing-associated gene for host insects H. armigera. The AcMNPV acquired the mentioned killing activity and markedly accelerate the killing rate when expressing Ls-p13. In conclusion, p13 is a killing associated gene in both homologous and heterologous nucleopolyhedrovirus.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.306-311
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• 2000

A new strain of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) from easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), Ly2-CMV, was identified and compared to the well-characterized Mf-CMV (subgroupⅠ) and LS-CMV (subgroupⅡ) by host reaction in several indicator plants, dsRNA analysis, serological property, RT-PCR analysis, restriction enzyme profile of the PCR products and nucleotide sequence of coat protein (CP) gene. Remarkable differences in symptoms of Ly2-CMV were found between Mf-CMV or LS-CMV in tobacco plants and Datura stramoinium. Ly2-CMV induced small necrotic ringspots on the inoculated leaves of Nicotiana tabacum cvs. Xanthi nc and Burley 21 and D. stramonium, and failed to infect these species systemically. Of the indicator plants tested, N. benthamiana only reacted with systemic infection by inoculation of Lr2-CMV. In experiments of dsRNA analysis, serology and RT-PCR of CP gene, Ly2-CMV was come within subgroupⅠ CMV. However, restriction enzyme analysis of the PCR products using MspⅠ showed that Ly2-CMV was distinct to Mf-CMV. The CP gene of Ly2-CMV contains 657 nucleotides, and the nucleotide sequence is similar to that of Mf-CMV. There is also a high degree of conservation between their putative gene products in Ly2-CMV and Mf-CMV, with five amino acid changes in the 218 amino acids of the CPs.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.260-273
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• 2013

The incidence and distribution of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and related tobamoviruses was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on 1,926 symptomatic horticultural crops and 107 asymptomatic weed samples collected from 78 highly infected fields in the major horticultural crop-producing areas in 17 provinces throughout Iran. The results were confirmed by host range studies and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The overall incidence of infection by these viruses in symptomatic plants was 11.3%. The coat protein (CP) gene sequences of a number of isolates were determined and disclosed to be a high identity (up to 100%) among the Iranian isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of all known TMV CP genes showed three clades on the basis of nucleotide sequences with all Iranian isolates distinctly clustered in clade II. Analysis using the complete CP amino acid sequence showed one clade with two subgroups, IA and IB, with Iranian isolates in both subgroups. The nucleotide diversity within each subgroup was very low, but higher between the two clades. No correlation was found between genetic distance and geographical origin or host species of isolation. Statistical analyses suggested a negative selection and demonstrated the occurrence of gene flow from the isolates in other clades to the Iranian population.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2001

The spr D gene encoding Strptomyces griseus protease D(SGPD); a chymotrypsin-like proteae, was cloned from Strptomyces griseus IFO13350 and sequence. Most of the amino-acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence is idential to that Strptomyces griseus IMRU3499 except that one amino acid has been deleted and Trp 369 has been substituted into Cys369 in the SGPD from S. griseus IFO13350 without affecting the protease activity. The spr D gene was overexpressed in Streptomyce liv-idans TK24 as a heterologous host. Various media with different compositions were also used to max-imize the productivity of SGPD inthe heterologous host. The SGPD productivity was best when the transformant S. lividans TK24 was cultivated in R2YE medium. The relative chymotrypsin activity of the culture broth measured with an artificial chromogenic substrate, N-scuccinyl-ala-ala-pro-phe-p-nitroanilide, was 16 units/ml. A high level of SGPD was also produced in YEME and SAAM medial but it was relatively lower that in R2YE medium and negligible amounts of SGPD were produced in GYE, GAE and Benedict media. The growth of S. lividans reacted the maximum level of cell mass at days 3 and 4 of the culture, but SGPD production started in the stationary phase of cell growth and kept increase in till the 10$^{th}$ day of culture in R2YE and YEME medium, but in GYE media the productivity reached maximum level at 8days of cultivation. The introduction of the spr D gene into S. lividans TK24 triggered biosyntheis of the pigmented antibiotic , actinorhodin, which implies some protease may paly a very improtant role in secondary-metabolite formation in sStreptomyces.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2011

A cyclic undecapeptide-family natural product, cyclosporin A (CyA), which is one of the most valuable immunosuppressive drugs, is produced nonribosomally by a multifunctional cyclosporin synthetase enzyme complex in a filamentous fungal strain named Tolypocladium niveum. Previously, structural modifications of cyclosporins such as a regionspecific hydroxylation at the $4^{th}$ N-methyl leucine in a rare actinomycetes called Sebekia benihana were reported to lead to dramatic changes in their bioactive spectra. However, the reason behind this change could not be determined since a system to genetically manipulate S. benihana has not yet been developed. To address this limitation, in this study, we utilized the most commonly practiced gene manipulation techniques including conjugation-based foreign gene transfer-and-expression as well as targeted gene disruption to genetically manipulate S. benihana. Using these optimized genetic manipulation systems, a putative cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) gene named CYP506, which is involved in CyA hydroxylation in S. benihana, was specifically disrupted and genetically complemented. The S. benihana${\Delta}$CYP506 exhibited a significantly reduced CyA hydroxylation yield as well as considerable yield restoration by functional complementation of the S. benihana CYP506 gene, suggesting that the genetically manipulated S. benihana CYP mutant strains may serve as a more efficient bioconversion host for various valuable metabolites including CyA.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2008

We have developed an efficient system of assessing the ability of a gene silencing cassette to silence transcripts from recalcitrant or poorly studied plant species by using a model plant as a host for the gene of interest. Tobacco plants transgenic for Lachrymatory Factor Synthase (LFS) enzyme activity from onion were first produced by introducing a CaMV 35S-onion-lfs gene construct. These plants were then subjected to a second transformation with an RNAi construct directed against the lfs gene sequence. LFS enzyme activity assay showed that the transgenic plants, containing both the lfs gene and the RNAi construct, had significantly reduced LFS activity. This observation was supported by Western analysis for the LFS protein and further validated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis that demonstrated a significant reduction in the lfs transcript level in the dual transformants. In this work, we have demonstrated that the RNAi construct is a suitable candidate for the development of a non-lachrymatory onion. Our model plant RNAi system has wide-reaching applications for assessment and targeting of plant secondary pathway genes, from poorly studied or recalcitrant plant species, that are important in the pharmacological, food and process industries.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.325-330
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• 2004

The RAD3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for excision repair and is essential for cell viability. RAD3 encoded protein possesses a single stranded DNA-dependent ATPase and DNA and DNA-RNA helicase activities. To examine the extent of conservation of structure and function of RAD3 during eukaryotic evolution, the RAD3 homolog gene was isolated by screening of genomic DNA library. The isolated gene was designated as HRD3 (Homologue of RAD3 gene). The over-expressed HRD3 protein was estimated to be a 75 kDa in size which is in good agreement with the estimated by the nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that a number of other protein spots dramatically disappeared when the HRD3 protein was overexpressed. The overexpressed RAD3 protein showed a toxicity in E. coli host, suggesting that this protein may be involved in the inhibition of protein synthesis and/or degradation of host protein. To determine which part of HRD3 gene contributes to the toxicity in E. coli, various fusion plasmids containing a partial sequence of HRD3 and lac'Z gene were constructed. These results suggest that the C-terminal domain of HRD3 protein may be important for both toxic effect in E. coli and for its role in DNA repair in S. pombe.