• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5557-5563
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• 2015

Background: Cholelithiasis is associated in 54%-98% of patients with carcinoma of the gallbladder, and a high incidence among females suggests a role of female hormones in the etiology of the disease. Cytochrome $P450C17{\alpha}$ (CYP-17) is a key enzyme involved in estrogen metabolism and polymorphisms in CYP-17 are associated with altered serum levels of estrogens. Thus, we investigated whether the CYP-17 MspA1 gene polymorphism might impact on risk of gall bladder cancers or gallstones, as well as to determine if this gene polymorphism might be linked with estrogen serum levels and lipid profile among the North Indian gall bladder cancer or gallstone patients. Materials and Methods: CYP-17 gene polymorphisms (MspA1) were genotyped with PCR-RFLP in cancer patients (n=96), stone patients (n=102), cancer + stone patients (n=52) and age/sex matched control subjects (n= 256). Lipid profile was estimated using a commercial kit and serum estrogen was measured using ELISA. Results: The majority of the patients in all groups were females. The lipid profile and estrogen level were significantly higher among the study as compared to control groups. The frequency of mutant allele A2 of CYP17 MspA1 gene polymorphism was higher among cancer (OR=5.13, 95% CI+3.10-8.51, p=0.0001), stone (OR=5.69, 95%CI=3.46-9.37, p=0.0001) and cancer + stone (OR=3.54, 95%CI=1.90-6.60, p=0.0001) when compared with the control group. However there was no significant association between genotypes of CYP17 MspA1 gene polymorphism and circulating serum level of estrogen and lipid profile. Conclusions: A higher frequency of mutant genotype A1A2 as well as mutant allele A2 of CYP-17 gene polymorphism is significantly associated with risk of gallbladder cancer and stones. Elevated levels of estrogen and an altered lipid profile can be used as predictors ofgall bladder stones and cancer in post menopausal females in India.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.827-833
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• 2016

Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) binds to calcineurin through the PxIxIT motif, which is evolutionarily conserved. SP repeat phosphorylation in RCAN1 is required for its complete function. The specific interaction between RCAN1 and calcineurin is critical for calcium/calmodulin-dependent regulation of calcineurin serine/threonine phosphatase activity. In this study, we investigated two available deletion rcan-1 mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans, which proceed differently for transcription and translation. We found that rcan-1 may be required for calcineurin activity and possess calcineurin-independent function in body growth and egg-laying behavior. In the genetic background of enhanced calcineurin activity, the rcan-1 mutant expressing a truncated RCAN-1 which retains the calcineurin-binding PxIxIT motif but misses SP repeats stimulated growth, while rcan-1 lack mutant resulted in hyperactive egg-laying suppression. These data suggest rcan-1 has unknown functions independent of calcineurin, and may be a stimulatory calcineurin regulator under certain circumstances.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.684-691
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• 2019

Evolution of adaptive mechanisms to abiotic stress is essential for plant growth and development. Plants adapt to stress conditions by activating the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway. It has been suggested that the ABA receptor, clade A protein phosphatase, SnRK2 type kinase, and SLAC1 anion channel are important components of the ABA signaling pathway. In this study, we report that the shaker type potassium (K⁺) channel, GORK, modulates plant responses to ABA and abiotic stresses. Our results indicate that the full length of PP2CA is needed to interact with the GORK C-terminal region. We identified a loss of function allele in gork that displayed ABA-hyposensitive phenotype. gork and pp2ca mutants showed opposite responses to ABA in seed germination and seedling growth. Additionally, gork mutant was tolerant to the NaCl and mannitol treatments, whereas pp2ca mutant was sensitive to the NaCl and mannitol treatments. Thus, our results indicate that GORK enhances the sensitivity to ABA and negatively regulates the mechanisms involved in high salinity and osmotic stresses via PP2CA-mediated signals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.426-431
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• 2015

Odin has been implicated in the downstream signaling pathway of receptor tyrosine kinases, such as the epidermal growth factor and Eph receptors. However, the physiologically relevant function of Odin needs to be further determined. In this study, we used Odin heterozygous mice to analyze the Odin expression pattern; the targeted allele contained a ${\beta}$-geo gene trap vector inserted into the 14t intron of the Odin gene. Interestingly, we found that Odin was exclusively expressed in ependymal cells along the brain ventricles. In particular, Odin was highly expressed in the subcommissural organ, a small ependymal glandular tissue. However, we did not observe any morphological abnormalities in the brain ventricles or ependymal cells of Odin null-mutant mice. We also generated BAC transgenic mice that expressed the PTB-deleted Odin (dPTB) after a floxed GFP-STOP cassette was excised by tissue-specific Cre expression. Strikingly, Odin-dPTB expression played a causative role in the development of the hydrocephalic phenotype, primarily in the midbrain. In addition, Odin-dPTB expression disrupted proper development of the subcommissural organ and interfered with ependymal cell maturation in the cerebral aqueduct. Taken together, our findings strongly suggest that Odin plays a role in the differentiation of ependymal cells during early postnatal brain development.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 1988

Three alleles of rbsB gene, rbsB, rbsB103, and rbsB106 from the wild type, the mutant and the revertant strain, respectively, were cloned for overproduction of proteins under the control of lambda $P_{L}$ promoter. Five different species of precursor and mature ribose-binding proteins were purified to homogeneity using DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography, osmotic shock pocedure, CM-Sephadex column chromatography, and Chromatofocusing column chromaography. pI of the precursor proteins and mature proteins were determined and found to be pH 8.0 and 7.5, respectively. The purified proteins were subjected to amino acid sequencing. The results confirmed the amino acid changes deduced from the DNA sequencing.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.247-256
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• 1999

A disease of young Holstein calves characterized by recurrent pneumonia, ulcerative and granulomatous stomatitis, enteritis with bacterial overgrowth, periodontitis, delayed wound healing, persistent neutrophilia and death at an early age had been originally described in 1983 and again in 1987. Most of these calves had stunted growth and a persistent, progressive neutrophilia (often exceeding 100,000/ml). By investigation of pedigrees, all of the affected calves have now been traced to a common sire and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic DNA testing to be homozygous carriers of a defective allele for bovine CD18. Neutrophils from these calves have several functional deficits and, most importantly, fail to adhere in a ${\beta}_2$-integrin dependent manner. The ${\beta}_2$-integrins represent a family of glycoproteins which participate in various leukocyte adhesion reactions during host defense. The presence or absence of ${\beta}_2$-integrin molecules can be demonstrated on the surface of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes from normal or affected calves using specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry, or by colloidal gold immunolabeling and scanning electron microscopy in backscatter mode. Deficiency of the ${\beta}_2$-integrins on all leukocyte types in Holstein calves is analogous to leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) seen in humans. Neutrophils in bovine (BLAD) and human LAD patients are unable to adhere to the endothelial lining of the cardiovascular system thus interrupting egression of neutrophils into infected tissues. Other leukocytes, while still deficient in expression of the ${\beta}_2$-integrins, are still able to efficiently egress from the blood stream due to interactions of other adhesion molecules that are not as highly expressed on neutrophils. Both BLAD cattle and LAD children (who do not receive bone marrow transplants) often die at an early age as a result of the failure of neutrophils to extravasate into infected tissues. In 1991, Shuster, et $al^{27}$, identified two point mutations within the alleles encoding bovine CD18 in a Holstein calf afflicted with leukocyte adhesion deficiency. One mutation causes an aspartic acid to glycine substitution at amino acid 128 (D128G) in an extracellular region of this adhesion glycoprotein that is highly conserved (> 95% identity) between humans, cattle and mice. The other mutation is silent. Numerous calves with clinical symptoms of leukocyte adhesion deficiency have since been tested and all have been found homozygous for the D128G allele. In addition, calves homozygous far the D128G allele have been identified during widespread DNA testing in the United States. All cattle with the mutant allele are related to one bull, who through artificial insemination (A.I.), sired many calves in the 1950's and 1960's. The carrier frequency of the D128G CD18 allele among U.S. Holstein cattle had reached approximately 15% among active A.I. bulls and 8% among cows. By 1993, the organization of the dairy industry and the diagnostic test developed to genotype cattle, enabled virtually complete eradication of bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency among current and future A.I. bulls.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.304-312
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• 2013

The thermotolerant methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha is attracting interest as a potential strain for the production of recombinant proteins and biofuels. However, only limited numbers of genome engineering tools are currently available for H. polymorpha. In the present study, we identified the HpPOL3 gene encoding the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase ${\delta}$ of H. polymorpha and mutated the sequence encoding conserved amino acid residues that are important for its proofreading 3'${\rightarrow}$5' exonuclease activity. The resulting $HpPOL3^*$ gene encoding the error-prone proofreading-deficient DNA polymerase ${\delta}$ was cloned under a methanol oxidase promoter to construct the mutator plasmid pHIF8, which also contains additional elements for site-specific chromosomal integration, selection, and excision. In a H. polymorpha mutator strain chromosomally integrated with pHIF8, a $URA3^-$ mutant resistant to 5-fluoroorotic acid was generated at a 50-fold higher frequency than in the wild-type strain, due to the dominant negative expression of $HpPOL3^*$. Moreover, after obtaining the desired mutant, the mutator allele was readily removed from the chromosome by homologous recombination to avoid the uncontrolled accumulation of additional mutations. Our mutator system, which depends on the accumulation of random mutations that are incorporated during DNA replication, will be useful to generate strains with mutant phenotypes, especially those related to unknown or multiple genes on the chromosome.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.372-378
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• 2023

Lkh1, a LAMMER kinase homolog in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, acts as a negative regulator of filamentous growth and flocculation. It is also involved in the response to oxidative stress. The lkh1-deletion mutant displays slower cell growth, shorter cell size, and abnormal DNA content compared to the wild type. These phenotypes suggest that Lkh1 controls cell size and cell cycle progression. When we performed microarray analysis using the lkh1-deletion mutant, we found that only four of the up-regulated genes in the lkh1-deletion were associated with the cell cycle. Interestingly, all of these genes are regulated by the Mlu1 cell cycle box binding factor (MBF), which is a transcription complex responsible for regulating the expression of cell cycle genes during the G1/S phase. Transcription analyses of the MBF-dependent cell-cycle genes, including negative feedback regulators, confirmed the up-regulation of these genes by the deletion of lkh1. Pull-down assay confirmed the interaction between Lkh1 and Yox1, which is a negative feedback regulator of MBF. This result supports the involvement of LAMMER kinase in cell cycle regulation by modulating MBF activity. In vitro kinase assay and NetPhosK 2.0 analysis with the Yox1T40,41A mutant allele revealed that T40 and T41 residues are the phosphorylation sites mediated by Lkh1. These sites affect the G1/S cell cycle progression of fission yeast by modulating the activity of the MBF complex.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.563-570
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• 2009

We previously isolated the OsCBT gene, which encodes a calmodulin (CaM)-binding protein, from a rice expression library constructed from fungal elicitor-treated rice suspension cells. In order to understand the function of OsCBT in rice, we isolated and characterized a T-DNA insertion mutant allele named oscbt-1. The oscbt-1 mutant exhibits reduced levels of OsCBT transcripts and no significant morphological changes compared to wild-type plant although the growth of the mutant is stunted. However, oscbt-1 mutants showed significant resistance to two major rice pathogens. The growth of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea, as well as the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae was significantly suppressed in oscbt-1 plants. Histochemical analysis indicated that the hypersensitive-response was induced in the oscbt-1 mutant in response to compatible strains of fungal pathogens. OsCBT expression was induced upon challenge with fungal elicitor. We also observed significant increase in the level of pathogenesis-related genes in the oscbt-1 mutant even under pathogen-free condition. Taken together, the results support an idea that OsCBT might act as a negative regulator on plant defense.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2005

In this presentation, we will discuss several recent achievements developed in my laboratory for microarray-based diagnosis of human genetic mutations including HNF-1 and BRCA1 mutations. To determine the presence of the genetic mutations in a human sample, we prepared allele-specific oligonucleotide chips from selected mutation sites and generated target probes using a tow-step method for Cy-3 DNA $samples^{1)}$ or in vitro transcription of promoter-tagged PCR products for Cy-3 RNA $samples^{2)}$. Hybridization of the target probes to the chips successfully identified all of the genotypes for the tested sites. For more reliable diagnosis, we also employed single base extension (SBE) reaction and zip-code microarray technique for our strategy. Particularly we developed an efficient PNA zip-code microarray for the detection of $HNF-1{\alpha}$ $mutations^{3)}$. Using multiplex SBE reactions and zip-code strategy, we were able to correctly diagnose several mutation sites in exon 2 of $HNF-1{\alpha}$ with a wild-type and mutant including a MODY3 patient. These works represent successful applications of DNA microarray technology for the diagnosis of human genetic mutations.