• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 1995

To investigate how the dyad symmetry region (DSR) and the distance between vir box and -35 sequence of the virE promoter plays a role in virE gene expression, two mutants were constructed by base substitution and insertional mutagenesis. The base substitutional mutation, a AAlongrightarrowCG substitution at positions -39 and -40 on the DSR, showed the level of $\beta$-galactosidase activity approximately 91% of the wild type virE promoter activity. Therefore, the native structure of the DSR seems to be not essential for virE expression. The insertional mutation, constructed by inserting 8 bp ClaI linker between -49 and -50, displayed the $\beta$-galactosidase activity at 12% of the native virE promoter activity. However, this striking reduction appears to be not caused by destruction of the native DSR structure, but by shifting the vir box far from putative -35 sequence.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2000

The Pi-b is the rice gene conferring race specific resistance to the blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea race having a corresponding avirulence gene, AVR-Pi-b. All resistant cultivars have two copies of the Pi-b gene, but susceptible cultivars have a single copy of the gene. About 1 Kbp insertion sequence was detected in the open reading frame of the Pi-b gene from the susceptible cv. Nipponbare. The nature of insertion sequence was identified as a solo long terminal repeat (LTR) of new rice Tyl-copia-like retrotransposon. LTR was widely distributed in the rice genome. Various types of different patterns of restriction fragment length polymorphism of LTR were detected in indica cultivars, whereas a single type was detected from japonica cultivars. The insertion of LTR sequence in the Pi-b gene in the susceptible cultivar suggested that retrotransposon-mediated insertional mutation might played an important role in the resistance breakdown as well as evolution of resistance genes in rice.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.127-141
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• 2018

Low efficiency in microalgal biomass production was largely attributed to the low density of algal cell cultures. Though mutations that reduced the level of chlorophyll or pigment content increased efficiency of photon usage and thus the cell-culture density under high-illumination growth conditions (e.g., >$500{\mu}mol\;photon\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$), it was unclear whether algae could increase cell-culture density under low-illumination conditions (e.g., ${\sim}50{\mu}mol\;photon\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$). To address this question, we performed forward genetic screening in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. A pool of >1,000 insertional mutants was constructed and subjected to continuous subcultures in shaking flasks under low-illumination conditions. Complexity of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern in cultures indicated the degree of heterogeneity of mutant populations. We showed that the levels of RFLP complexity decreased when cycles of subculture increased, suggesting that cultures were gradually populated by high cell-culture density (HCD) strains. Analysis of the 3 isolated HCD mutants after 30 cycles of subcultures confirmed that their maximal biomass production was 50-100% higher than that of wild type under low-illumination. Furthermore, levels of chlorophyll content in HCD mutant strains were similar to that of wild type. Inverse polymerase chain reaction analysis identified the locus of insertion in two of three HCD strains. Molecular and transcriptomic analyses suggested that two HCD mutants were a result of the gain-of-function phenotype, both linking to the abnormality of mitochondrial functions. Taken together, our results demonstrate that HCD strains can be obtained through continuous subcultures under low illumination conditions.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.101-104
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• 2005

DXS catalyzes the first step of MEP pathway. Escherichia coli disruptants defective in dxs were constructed by insertional mutation and characterized. Selected disruptant, DXM3, was auxotrophic for DX or ME. Putative class 1 DXS ORF from Ginkgo biloba was shown to rescue DXM3 grown without DX or ME supplementation. The putative ORF was thus confirmed as DXS1. The disruptant was demonstrated to be useful for DSX screening.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 1999

Nonpathogenic mutants of Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines were generated with Omegon-Kim to isolate genes essential for pathogenicity and inducing hypersensitive response (HR). Three nonpathogenic multants and two mutants showing slow symptom development were isolated among 1,000 colonies tested. From two nonpathogenic mutants, 8-13 and 26-13, genes homologous to hrcC and hrpF of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria were identified. The nonpathogenic mutant 8-13 had a mutation in a gene homologous to hrpF of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria and failed to cause HR on pepper plants but still induced HR on tomato leaves. The nonpathogenic mutant 26-13 had an insertional mutation in a gene homologous to hrcC of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria and lost the ability to induce HR on pepper leaves but still caused HR on tomato plants. Unlike other phytopathogenic bacteria, the parent strain and these two mutants of X. campestris pv. glycines did not cause HR on tobacco plants. a cosmid clone, pBL1, that complemented the phenotypes of 8-13 was isolated. From the analysis of restriction enzyme mapping and deletion analyses of pBL1, a 9.0-kb Eco RI fragment restored the phenotypes of 8-13. pBL1 failed to complement the phenotypes of 26-13, indicating that the hrcC gene resides outside of the insert DNA of pBL1. One nonpathogenic mutant, 13-33, had a mutation in a gene homologous to a miaA gene encoding tRNA delta (2)-isopentenylpyrophosphate transferase of Escherichia coli. This indicated that tRNA modifications in X. campestris pv. glycines may be required for expression of genes necessary for pathogenicity. The mutant 13-33 multiplied as well as the parent strain did in the culture medium and in planta, indicating that loss of pathogenicity is not due to the inability of multiplication in vivo.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.581-590
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• 2000

Alterations in the cellular genome affecting the expression or function of genes controlling cell growth and differentiation are considered to be the main cause of cancer. Over 30 oncogenes can be activated by insertional mutagenesis, single point mutations, chromosomal translocations and gene amplification. The ras oncogenes have been detected in $15{\sim}20%$ of human tumors that include some of the most common forms of human neoplasia and are known to acquire their transforming properties by single point mutations in two domains of their coding sequences, most commonly in codons 12 and 61. The ras gene family consists of three functional genes, N-ras, K-ras and H-ras which encode highly similar proteins of 188 or 189 amino acid residues generically known as P21. ras proteins have been shown to bind GTP and GTP, and possess intrinsic GTPase activity. Experimental study was performed to observe the mutational change of the ras gene family and apply the results to the clinical activity. 36 Golden Syrian Hamster each weighing $60{\sim}80g$ were used and painted with 0.5% DMBA by 3 times weekly on the right buccal cheek(experimental side) for 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks. Left buccal cheek (control side) was treated with mineral oil as the same manner of the right side. The hamsters were sacrificed on the 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 & 16 weeks. Normal and tumor tissues from paraffin block were completely dissected by microdissection and DNA from both tissue were isolated by proteinase K/phenol/chloroform extraction. Segments of the K-ras and H-ras gene were amplified by PCR using the oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the homologous region (codon 12 and 61) of the hamster gene, and then confirmational change of ras genes was observed by SSCP and autosequencing analysis. The results were as follows : 1. Malignant lesion could be found in the experimental side from the experimental six weeks. 2. One hamster among six showed point mutation of the H-ras codon 12($G{\rightarrow}A$ transition) at the experimental 10 and 14 weeks. 3. One of six at 6 weeks, two of six at 8 weeks and one of six at 12 weeks revealed the confirmational change of the H-ras codon 61($A{\rightarrow}T$ transversion). 4. The incidence of point mutation of H-ras codon 12 and 61 were 5.5%(2 of 36) and 11%(4 of 36) respectively. 5. Point mutation of the K-ras could not be seen during the whole experimental period. Form the above results, these findings strongly support the concept that H-ras oncogenes may have the influence of the DMBA induced carcinoma of hamster buccal pouch.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1871-1879
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• 2015

The complex roles of flagella in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter jejuni, a major cause of worldwide foodborne diarrheal disease, are important. Compared with the wild-type, an insertional mutation of the flgA gene (cj0769c) demonstrated significant decrease in the biofilm formation of C. jejuni NCTC11168 on major food contact surfaces, such as polystyrene, stainless steel, and borosilicate glass. The flgA mutant was completely devoid of flagella and non-motile whereas the wild-type displayed the full-length flagella and motility. In addition, the biofilm formation of the wild-type was inversely dependent on the viscosity of the media. These results support that flagellar-mediated motility plays a significant role in the biofilm formation of C. jejuni NCTC11168. Moreover, our adhesion assay suggests that it plays an important role during biofilm maturation after initial attachment. Furthermore, C. jejuni NCTC11168 wild-type formed biofilm with a net-like structure of extracellular fiber-like material, but such a structure was significantly reduced in the biofilm of the flgA mutant. It supports that the extracellular fiber-like material may play a significant role in the biofilm formation of C. jejuni. This study demonstrated that flgA is essential for flagellar biosynthesis and motility, and plays a significant role in the biofilm formation of C. jejuni NCTC11168.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.27-30
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• 2002

Ralstonia eutrupha JMP134 is a well-known soil bacterium which can metabolite diverse aromatic compounds and xenobiotics, such as phenol, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D), and trichloroethylene (TCE), etc. Phenol is degraded through chromosomally encoded phenol degradation pathway. Phenol is first metabolized into catechol by a multicomponent phenol hydroxylase, which is further metabolized to TCA cycle intermediates via a meta-cleavage pathway. The nucleotide sequences of the genes for the phenol hydroxylase have previously been determined, and found to composed of eight genes phlKLMNOPRX in an operon structure. The phlR, whose gene product is a NtrC-like transcriptional activator, was found to be located at the internal region of the structural genes, which is not the case in most bacteria where the regulatory genes lie near the structural genes. In addition to this regulatory gene, we found other regulatory genes, the phlA and phlR2, downstream of the phlX. These genes were found to be overlapped and hence likely to be co-transcribed. The protein similarity analysis has revealed that the PhlA belongs to the GntR family, which are known to be negative regulators, whereas the PhlR2 shares high homology with the NtrC-type family of transcriptional activators like the PhlR. Disruption of the phlA by insertional mutation has led to the constitutive expression of the activity of phenol hydroxylase in JMP134, indicating that PhlA is a negative regulator. Possible regulatory mechanisms of phenol metabolism in R. eutropha JMP134 has been discussed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2003

An insertion sequence identified as a solo long terminal repeat (LTR) of a new rice copia-like retrotransposon was detected in the ORE of the Pi-b gene from the rice cv. Nipponbare, and was designated as Osr1. Osr1 consists of a 6386 bp nucleotide sequence including 965 bp LTRs on both ends with an 82％ nucleotide sequence identity to the wheat Tarl retrotransposon on reverse transcriptase. Nucleotide divergence was noted among the individual LTRs, as well as the coding region of Osr1. Various restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of LTR were detected in indica cultivars, whereas, only a few could be detected in the japonica cultivars. The population of Osr1 is lower in the wild-type rice compared with that in the domesticated cultivars. The insertion of LTR sequence in the h-b gene in the susceptible cultivar suggested that retro-tyansposon-mediated insertional mutation might play an important role in the resistance breakdown, as well as in the evolution of resistance genes in rice.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.275-281
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• 1995

From the plasmid pYA300 carring a CMCase of Rhizobium fredii USDA193 plasmid was subcloned into pBluescript II KS(+)/pBluescript II SK(+) vectors and designated pYA500 and pYA600, respectively. Escherchia coli cells transformed with pYA500 porduced the CMCase more than with pYA600. The orientation of the cloned fragment in pBluescript vector had the effect on gene expression in E. coli background. When the 1.7 kb CMCase gene fragment of R. fredii USDA193 was hybridized to EcoRI-digested total DNA from R. meliloti and R. fredii USDA 191 the unique bands hybridized respectively, indicating that some genetic diversity exists in the EcoRI restriction enzyme site for CMCase gene in Rhizobium strains. The optimum pH of enzyme activity was 7 and the optimum temperature of that was nearly 37$\circ$C. The cellulase-minus derivatives of pYA500 were constructed by Tn5 insertional mutation. Among 6000 transconjugants, two mutant plasmids (designated pYA500::Tn5a and pYA500::Tn5b) were detected from the cellulase- negative transconjugants. The product of CMCase gene was analyzed by one dimensional SDS- PAGE of the cell extracts. About 45 kDa protein was considered to be a product of CMCase gene.