• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2003

A routine system based on particle bombardment of embryogenic callus for recovery of fertile transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants was developed. Embryogenic callus was established within 2-3 months from calli derived from mature seeds of Korean rice cultivar, Nagdongbyeo. The callus was bombarded with the plasmid pRQ6 containing the $\beta$-glucuronidase gene (gusA) and hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph, conferring resistance to hygromycin B), both driven by CaMV 35S promoter. Placement of cells on an osmoticum-containing medium (0.2 M sorbitol and 0.2 M mannitol) 4 hrs prior to and 16 hrs after bombardment resulted in a statistically significant increase with 3.2-fold in transient expression frequency gusA. In five independent experiments, the average frequency of transformation showing GUS activities was $8.86\%$. A large number of morphologically normal, fertile transgenic rice plants were obtained. Integration of foreign gene into the genome of $R_0$ transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. GUS and HPT were detected in $R_1$ progeny and Mendelian segregation of these genes was observed in $R_1$ progeny.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2011

Development of mouse fetus brains can be defined morphologically and functionally by three developmental stages, embryo day (ED) 16, postnatal stage one week and eight weeks. These defined stages of brain development may be closely associated with differential gene expression rates due to limited cellular resources such as energy, space, and free water. Complex patterns of expressed genes and proteins during brain development suggests the changes in relative concentrations of proteins rather than the increase in numbers of new gene products. This study was designed to evaluate early protein expression pattern in mouse fetus brain. The mouse brain proteome of fetus at ED 15.5, and 19.5 was obtained using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (DE). Analysis of the 2-DE gels in pH 3-10 range revealed the presence of 15 differentially expressed spots, of which 11 spots were identified to be known proteins following MALDI-TOF analysis; 3 spots were up-regulated and 8 spots were down-regulated in the mouse fetus brain at ED 15.5. UP-regulated proteins were identified as MCG18238, isoform M2 of pyruvate kinase isozymes M1/M2, isoform 2 of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H2, creatine kinase B-type, 40S ribosomal protein SA and hemoglobin subunit beta-H1. Down-regulated proteins were putative uncharacterized protein, lactoylglutathione lyase and secreted acidic cysteine rich glycoprotein. Our results revealed composite profiles of mouse fetus brain proteins related to mouse fetus development by 2-DE analysis implying possible roles of these proteins in neural differentiation.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.461-476
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• 2015

Global warming has accelerated glacial retreat in the high Arctic. The exposed glacier foreland is an ideal place to study chronosequential changes in ecosystems. Although vegetation succession in the glacier forelands has been studied intensively, little is known about the microbial community structure in these environments. Therefore, this study focused on how glacial retreat influences the bacterial community structure and its relationship with soil properties. This study was conducted in the foreland of the Midtre Lovénbreen glacier in Svalbard (78.9°N). Seven soil samples of different ages were collected and analyzed for moisture content, pH, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents, and soil organic matter fractionation. In addition, the structure of the bacterial community was determined via pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes. The physical and chemical properties of soil varied significantly along the distance from the glacier; with increasing distance, more amounts of clay and soil organic carbon contents were observed. In addition, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were dominant in soil samples taken close to the glacier, whereas Acidobacteria were abundant further away from the glacier. Diversity indices indicated that the bacterial community changed from homogeneous to heterogeneous structure along the glacier chronosequence/distance from the glacier. Although the bacterial community structure differed on basis of the presence or absence of plants, the soil properties varied depending on soil age. These findings suggest that bacterial succession occurs over time in glacier forelands but on a timescale that is different from that of soil development.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.4019-4023
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• 2014

Metformin has been shown to be useful in reducing insulin resistance by restoring sensitivity. Recent evidence suggests that metformin might also possess anti-tumour activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cisplatin combined with metformin on the proliferation, invasion and migration of HNE1/DDP human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, and to provide a new target for treating metastasis. The MTT assay was used to assess viability of HNE1/DDP cells after exposure to different concentrations of 2, 5-diaminopyrimidine-4, 6-diol (DDP; 2, 4, 8, 16, and $32{\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$), metformin (5, 10, 15, 20, and $25{\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$), and $4{\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ of DDP combined with metformin. Wound healing and transwell migration assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion, and expression of E-cadherin and MMP-9 was detected using Western blotting. MTT assay results showed that DDP could inhibit the proliferation of HNE1/DDP cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 of $32.0{\mu}mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ at 24 h (P < 0.05), whereas low concentrations of DDP had almost no inhibitory effects on cell invasion and migration. DDP combined with metformin significantly inhibited cell invasion and migration. In addition, genes related to migration and invasion, such as those of E-cadherin and MMP-9, showed differential expression in the NPC cell line HNE1/DDP. In the present study, with an increasing concentration of metformin, the expression of MMP-9 was downregulated whereas that of E-cadherin was significantly upregulated. Taken together, our results show that cisplatin combined with metformin has effects on proliferation, invasion, and migration of human NPC cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1744-1752
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• 2017

Myeolchi jeotgals (MJs) were prepared with purified salt (PS), solar salt aged for 1 year (SS), and bamboo salt (BS) melted 3 times at 10% and 20% (w/w) concentrations, and fermented for 28 weeks at $15^{\circ}C$. BS MJ showed higher pH and lower titratable acidities than the other samples because of the alkalinity of bamboo salt. Lactic acid bacteria counts increased until 4-6 weeks and then decreased gradually, and were not detected after 20 weeks from MJs with 10% salt. Yeast counts of PS MJs were higher than those of BS and SS MJs. Bacilli were detected in relatively higher numbers throughout the 28 weeks, like marine bacteria, but archae were detected in lower numbers during the first 10 weeks. When 16S rRNA genes were amplified from total DNA from PS MJ (10% salt) at 12 weeks, Tetragenococcus halophilus was the major species. However, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the dominant species for BS MJ at the same time point. In SS MJ, T. halophilus was the dominant species and S. epidermidis was the next dominant species. BS and SS MJs showed higher amino-type nitrogen, ammonia-type nitrogen, and volatile basic nitrogen contents than PS MJs. SS and BS were better than PS for the production of high-quality MJs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.457-464
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• 2006

Three extracellular proteases (Vpr, peptidase T, and subtilisin) were identified from the culture supernatant of Bacillus subtilis KCTC 3014. All the proteins were partially purified as a mature form by using a DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange column chromatography. Their activities were determined by using zymography and densitometry. The relative molecular masses of Vpr and peptidase T (PepT) were determined to be 68 and 48 kDa by SDS-PAGE and zymography, respectively. However, subtilisin formed a 'binding mode' at the top of the separating gel. After denaturation by boiling at $100^{\circ}C$ for 5 min, its molecular mass was determined to be 29 kDa, whereas its activity was lost. The optimal pH of Vpr, PepT, and subtilisin were 9.0, 6.0-7.0, and 7.0-8.0, respectively. The optimal temperature of Vpr, PepT, and subtilisin was 40, 50, and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. Inhibitor test revealed that Vpr and subtilisin were serine proteases and that PepT was a metalloprotease. Interestingly, we found that Vpr showed no enzyme activity on a 2DE zymogram gel. Three genes, vpr, pepT, and apr (encoding subtilisin protein), were cloned and their nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were determined.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.389-397
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• 2002

Bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria were isolated from kimchi. One isolate producing the most efficient bacteriocin was identified and named Lactococcus lactis B2, based on the biochemical properties and 16S rDNA sequences. The B2 bacteriocin inhibited many different Gram positive bacteria including Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus, but did not inhibit Gram-negative bacteria. The bacteriocin was maximally produced at temperatures between $25^{\circ}C\;and\;30^{\circ}C$ and at the initial pH of 7.0. Ninety $\%$ of the activity remained after 10 min of heat treatment at $121^{\circ}C,\;and\;100\%$, after 1 h exposure to organic solvents. The bacteriocin was purified from culture supernatant by ammonium sulfate precipitation, CM Sepharose column chromatography, ultrafiltration, and finally, by reverse-phase HPLC. A 1.58-kb fragment was amplified from B2 chromosome by using a primer set designed from the published nisA sequence. Sequencing result showed that the fragment contained the whole nisZ and 5' portion of nisB, whose gene product was involved in postmodification of nisin. The upstream sequence, however, was completely different from those of reported nisin genes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.178-184
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• 2015

This work aims to utilize wastes from the potato starch industry to produce single-cell protein (SCP) with high lysine content as animal feed. In this work, S-(2-aminoethyl)-_L-cysteine hydrochloride-resistant Bacillus pumilus E1 was used to produce SCP with high lysine content, whereas Aspergillus niger was used to degrade cellulose biomass and Candida utilis was used to improve the smell and palatability of the feed. An orthogonal design was used to optimize the process of fermentation for maximal lysine content. The optimum fermentation conditions were as follows: temperature of 40℃, substrate concentration of 3%, and natural pH of about 7.0. For unsterilized potato starch wastes, the microbial communities in the fermentation process were determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Results showed that the dominant population was Bacillus sp. The protein quality as well as the amino acid profile of the final product was found to be significantly higher compared with the untreated waste product at day 0. Additionally, acute toxicity test showed that the SCP product was non-toxic, indicating that it can be used for commercial processing.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2006

Plasmids are covalently closed circular molecules of DNA that are stably inherited and replicate somewhat independently of the bacterial chromosome. Genes carried on plasmids can mediate a wide variety of important functions, including antibiotics (R plasmids) and heavy metals resistance, toxins production, cell penetration, iron chelation, complement resistance, and metabolic characteristics such as sucrose and lactose fermentation. Fifty strains of lactobacilli were isolated from 26 staters and 29 fermented milk products. They were classified 27 strains as Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei, 11 stains as Lactococcus lactis subsp cremoris, 6 strains as L delbrueckii subsp lactis, 4 strains as L acidophius, and 2 strains as L delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus. All of these strains were examined for drug resistance and transferability of R plasmids. All of the isolates were sensitive to Am, C, CF, E, NB, P, T, and Te. But resistant to SXT 94% (47 strains), K 66% (33 strains), S 56% (28 strains), ENR 50% (25 strains), NOR 38% (19 strains) CIP 38% (19 strains), GM 16% (8 strains), and N 14% (7 strains), in order. And 32 different resistant patterns were found. The most frequently encountered patterns were CIP-ENR-K-NOR-S-SXT (5 strains). In vitro R plasmids transfer experiment, 57 antibiotic resistant strains which were not transfer to the recipient 2 Escherichia coli strains by conjugation, These results indicate that Lactobacillus in internal trade market' stater recognize R factor but transmissible R plasmid is not existed.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2004

A reproducible transformation system via optimized regeneration media for Korean rice cultivars was established using Agrobacterium tumefeciens LBA4404 (pSBM-PPGN; gusA and bar). Although japonica rice genotypes were easier to produce transgenic plants compared to Tongil type cultivars, transformation efficiencies were not always correlated with regeneration efficiencies of non-transgenic callus on the control medium. Regeneration efficiencies of Donganbyeo, Ilmibyeo, and Manchubyeo were over 50% in non-transgenic control, however, transformation efficiencies were significantly low when only sucrose was added to the media as a carbon source. However, the medium, MSRK5SS-Pr (or MSRK5SM-Pr), that contains $5\textrm{mgL}^{-1}$ kinetin, $0.5\textrm{mgL}^{-1}$ NAA, 2 % sucrose (or maltose), 3% sorbitol, and $500\textrm{mgL}^{-1}$ proline, was the most efficient not only for regeneration of non-transgenic callus but also for regeneration of transgenic callus in the presence of L-phosphinotricin (PPT). Average transformation efficiencies of 16 Korean rice cultivars were significantly enhanced by using the optimized medium from 1.5% to 5.8% in independent callus lines and from 2.9% to 19.4% in tromsgenic plants obained. Approximately 98.9% (876 out of 885) transgenic plants obtained on optimized media showed basta resistance. Stable integration, inheritance and expression of gusA and bar genes were continued by GUS assay and PCR and Southern analysis of the bar gene. With Pst1 digestion of genomic DNA of transgenic plants, one to five copies of T-DNA segment were observed; however, 76% (19 out of 25 transgenic plants) has low copy number of T-DNA. The transformants obtained from one callus line showed the same copy numbers with the same fractionized band patterns.