• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2012

The sporulation-specific glucoamylase (SGA) of Saccharomyces diastaticus is known to be produced in the cytoplasm during sporulation. For the purpose of proving that SGA has secretory potential, we constructed a hybrid plasmid, pYESC25, containing the promoter and the putative signal sequence of the SGA fused in frame to the endo-1,4-${\beta}$-D-glucanase (CMCase) gene of Bacillus subtilis without its own signal sequence. The recipient yeast strain of S. diastaticus YIY345 was transformed with the hybrid plasmid. CMCase secretion from S. diastaticus harboring pYESC25 into culture medium was confirmed by the formation of yellowish halos around transformants after staining with Congo red on a CMC agar plate. The transformant culture was fractionated to the extracellular, periplasmic, and intracellular fraction, followed by the measurement of CMCase activity. About 63% and 13% enzyme activity were detected in the culture supernatant (extracellular fraction) and periplasmic fraction, respectively. Furthermore, ConA-Sepharose chromatography, native gel electrophoresis, and activity staining revealed that CMCase produced in yeast was glycosylated and its molecular weight was larger than that of the unglycosylated form from B. subtilis. Taking these findings together, SGA has the potential of secretion to culture medium, and the putative signal sequence of SGA can efficiently direct bacterial CMCase to the yeast secretion pathway.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2017

Gaucher disease (GD) is caused by the deficiency of glucocerebrosidase. In pediatric patients with GD, especially Type I GD, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) can reduce the hepatosplenomegaly and improve the hematologic finding and growth velocity. Herein, we report a 2-year-old girl with Type I GD presented with hepatosplenomegaly, bone pain and growth retardation. A 2 year-old-girl was referred to our hospital due to severe hepatosplenomegaly and growth retardation. She suffered from both leg pain and chronic fatigue. Simple x-ray showed widened distal long bones like that of an 'Erlenmeyer flask' which is associated with GD. The laboratory test showed anemia and thrombocytopenia. The enzyme activity was markedly reduced and the direct sequencing of the GBA gene showed the compound heterozygous mutations, p.G46E and p.L444P. As the G46E have been considered as the protective gene against neuronopathic genotype, we could assess the Type I GD in this patient. After one year of ERT, the growth velocity became 11 cm per year. Bone pain and fatigue disappeared. The volume of liver and spleen was reduced from $683cm^3$ and $703cm^3$ to $590cm^3$ and $235cm^3$, respectively. Although GD is an extremely rare disease in Korea, growth retardation and bone pain in children are the important signs which lead to early detection of GD and a simple radiologic finding is helpful to assess the GD at outpatient clinic. We highlight that the early diagnosis and early ERT is important for good growth and outcome for pediatric patients with GD.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 2009

This study examined the association of cytokine gene polymorph isms with intrahepatic bile duct wall fibrosis in human clonorchiasis. A total of 240 residents in Heilongjiang, China underwent ultrasonography, blood sampling, and stool examination. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites for $IFN-{\gamma}$ (+874 T/A), IL-10 (-1,082 G/A, -819 C/T, -592 C/A), $TNF-{\alpha}$ (-308 G/A), and $TGF-{\beta}1$ (codon 10 T/C, codon 25 G/C) genes were observed with the TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. No significant correlation was observed between individual cytokine gene polymorphisms and intrahepatic duct dilatation (IHDD). Among individuals with clonorchiasis of moderate intensity, the incidence of IHDD was high in those with $IFN-{\gamma}$ intermediate-producing genotype, +874AT (80.0%, P=0.177), and in those with $TNF-{\alpha}$ low-producing genotype, -308GG (63.0%, P=0.148). According to the combination of $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ genotypes, the risks for IHDD could be stratified into high (intermediate-producing $IFN-{\gamma}$ and low producing $TNF-{\alpha}$), moderate, and low (low-producing $IFN-{\gamma}$ and high producing $TNF-{\alpha}$) risk groups. The incidence of IHDD was significantly different among these groups (P=0.022): 88.9% (odds ratio, OR=24.0) in high, 56.5% (OR=3.9) in moderate, and 25.0% (OR=1) in low risk groups. SNP of $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ genes may contribute to the modulation of fibrosis in the intrahepatic bile duct wall in clonorchiasis patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2597-2604
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• 2012

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an essential enzyme involved in folate metabolism; a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) C677T has been reported to be linked with altered incidences of several diseases. We here conducted a meta-analysis of 15 published epidemiological studies with a total of 7306 cases and 8062 controls to evaluate its association with prostate cancer risk with overall and subgroup analyses. No statistical relationship was found overall with any genetic model (TT vs. CC: OR = 0.80, 95%CI = [0.62, 1.04], P = 0.094; CT vs. CC: OR = 0.97, 95%CI = [0.84; 1.12], P = 0.667; Dominant: OR = 0.94, 95%CI = [0.82; 1.07], P = 0.343; Recessive: OR = 0.81, 95%CI = [0.64; 1.04], P = 0.104), but after the exclusion of several studies, we could observe the homozygote TT to confer less susceptibility to prostate cancer in carriers; moreover, different effects of the polymorphism on prostate cancer risk was detected from subgroup analysis stratified by participants' residential region: significant reduced prostate cancer risk was found to be associated with the polymorphism from Asian studies (TT vs. CC: OR = 0.47, 95%CI = [0.33; 0.67], P < 0.001; CT vs. CC: OR = 0.73, 95%CI = [0.60; 0.90], P = 0.002; Dominant: OR = 0.67, 95%CI = [0.56; 0.82], P < 0.001; Recessive: OR = 0.55, 95%CI = [0.40; 0.76], P < 0.001) while studies from Europe indicated a slight increased risk under dominant model with marginal significance (OR = 1.14, 95%CI = [0.99; 1.30], P = 0.064). Moreover, the protective effect of the polymorphism against prostate cancer was also shown by studies performed in yellow Asians (TT vs. CC: OR = 0.48, 95%CI = [0.31; 0.75], P = 0.001; CT vs. CC: OR = 0.68, 95%CI = [0.51; 0.90], P = 0.006; Dominant: OR = 0.63, 95%CI = [0.48; 0.82], P < 0.001; Recessive: OR = 0.57, 95%CI = [0.39; 0.84], P = 0.004). We propose that these phenomena should be viewed with the consideration of folate metabolism profile and different gene background as well as living habits of different populations, and more relevant studies should be conducted to confirm our hypothesis and provide a comprehensive and clear picture concerning this topic.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2395-2399
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• 2016

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cytokines play an important role in the regulation of immune responses and defense against viral infections. Human interleukin 6 (IL6) is a multifunctional cytokine that participates in these processes. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the IL6-174 gene polymorphism in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as compared with healthy controls in an Iranian population. Materials and Methods: Totals of 297 HBV patients and 368 control individuals were evaluated. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and the SSP-PCR (sequence specific primer-polymerase chain reaction) method was applied for genotyping. Results: The frequencies of genotypes C/C, G/G and C/G in HBV cases were 4.7%, 34.3%, 60.9% and in controls were 12.8%, 39.7% and 47.6%, respectively. The frequencies of G and C allele in patients and controls were 78.1%, 21.9% and 67.4%, 32.6 % respectively. There was a significant difference in the frequencies of G/G genotype (CI=1.8-7.1, OR=3.47, P=0.00001) and G allele (CI=1.34-2.23, OR=1.72, P=0.0001) between HBV patients and the control group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the IL6-174 C/G genotype and the G allele are strongly associated with susceptibility to HBV infection. Demographic information showed that most of the subjects were male (74.4%). According to high frequency of G/G genotype in male participants (63.1%) men probably are more susceptible to hepatitis than women.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 2006

Despites many attempts to explore the microbial diversity in kimchi fermentation, the predominant flora remains controversial to date. In the present study, major lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were investigated in Chinese cabbage kimchi in the early phase of fermention. For the samples over pH 4.0, viable cell counts of Leuconostoc and Pediococcus were $10^6\;cfu/ml$ and below $10^2\;cfu/ml$, respectively, and 20 isolates out of 172 were subjected to a biochemical identification (API 50 CH kit) as well as molecular-typing methods including ITSPCR with a RsaI digestion and 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis for species confirmation. Seven isolates were nicely assigned to Lb. brevis, 6 to Leuconostoc spp. (2 mesenteroides, 2 citreum, I carnosum, I gasicomitatum), 4 to Weissella (3 kimchii/cibaria, 1 hanii) and 2 to other Lactobacillus spp. (1 farciminis, 1 plantarum). On the other hand, the biochemical identification data revealed 9 strains of Lb. brevis, 6 strains of Leuconostocs,2 strains of Lb. plantarum and 1 strain each of Lb. coprophilus and Lactococcus lactis. However, a single isolates, YSM 16, was not matched to the ITS-PCR database constructed in the present study. Two Lb. brevis strains by API 50 CH kit were reassigned to W kimchii/cibaria, Lb. coprophilus or W hanii, respectively, judging from the results by the above molecular typing approaches. As a whole, the identification data obtained by the biochemical test were different from those of ITS-PCR molecular method by about $63\%$ at genus-level and $42\%$ at species-level. The data by the ITS-PCR method conclusively suggest that predominant LAB species is probably heterolactic Lb. brevis, followed by W kimchii/cibaria, Leuc. mesenteroides, and Leuc. citreum, in contrast to the previous reports [3] that Leuc. mesenteroides is the only a predominant species in the early phase kimchi fermentation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 1997

The present study was designed to quantify the alterations of renal renin, angiotensin type I receptor ($AT_1$), $TGF-{\beta}1$, and fibronectin gene expression in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). We also investigated the change of $AT_1$ density during UUO. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique and receptor binding assay were used to detect mRNA expression and receptor density, respectively. At one day after UUO, renin mRNA level of the obstructed kidneys was decreased transiently and then subsequently increased to the level of sham kidneys. In the contralateral kidneys of the same rats, on the contrary, renin mRNA level was gradually decreased. Then, at 9 days after UUO, it was significantly lower than that of sham kidneys. The expressions of both $AT_1$ subtypes, called $AT_{1A}$ and $AT_{1B}$, mRNAs did not change at any time. UUO led to a significant decrease in $AT_1$ density in the obstructed kidneys compared with the sham kidneys at 1 and 3 days $(66\;{\pm}\;11.6%\;(p<0.005)\;and\;73\;{\pm}\;4.0%$ (p<0.01), respectively). Thereafter, $AT_1$ density was gradually increased and at 9 days it showed a marked elevation in the obstructed kidneys compared to the sham kidneys. In contrast, in the contralateral kidneys $AT_1$ density was significantly reduced from 3 to 9 days after UUO. The $TGF-{\beta}$1 mRNA level of the obstructed kidneys was unexpectedly decreased at 6 days after UUO. Then, at 9 days it was followed by a significant increase in the obstructed kidneys, whereas it showed an obvious decrease in the contralateral kidneys. In addition, fibronectin mRNA level was also significantly increased in the obstructed kidneys after UUO compared to the sham or the contralateral kidneys of the same rats. These results suggest a differential regulation of renal renin, $AT_1$ receptor, $TGF-{\beta}$1 and fibronectin mRNA levels at different stages of UUO.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1881-1886
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• 2012

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that is affected by ethnicity of patients. According to hormone receptor status and gene expression profiling, breast cancers are classified into four molecular subtypes, each showing distinct clinical behavior. Lack of sufficient data on molecular subtypes of breast cancer in Iran, prompted us to investigate the prevalence and the clinicopathological features of each subtype among Iranian women. A total of 428 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2002 to 2011 were included and categorized into four molecular subtypes using immunohistochemistry. Prevalence of each subtype and its association with patients' demographics and tumor characteristics, such as size, grade, lymph-node involvement and vascular invasion, were investigated using Chi-square, analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression. Luminal A was the most common molecular subtype (63.8%) followed by Luminal B (8.4%), basal-like (15.9%) and HER-2 (11.9%). Basal-like and HER-2 subtypes were mostly of higher grades while luminal A tumors were more of grade 1 (P<0.001). Vascular invasion was more prevalent in HER-2 subtype, and HER-2 positive tumors were significantly associated with vascular invasion (P=0.013). Using muti-variate analysis, tumor size greater than 5 cm and vascular invasion were significant predictors of 3 or more nodal metastases. Breast cancer was most commonly diagnosed in women around 50 years of age and the majority of patients had lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis. This points to the necessity for devising an efficient screening program for breast cancer in Iran. Further, prospective surveys are suggested to evaluate prognosis of different subtypes in Iranian patients.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1360-1364
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• 2009

The bacterium Sphingomonas chungbukensis DJ77 produces the extracellular polysaccharide gellan in high yield. Gellan produced by this bacterium is widely used as a gelling agent, and the enzyme UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) is thought to play a key role in the gellan biosynthetic pathway. The UGP gene has been successfully cloned and over-expressed in E. coli. The expressed enzyme was purified with a molecular weight of approximately 32 kDa, as determined by a SDS-polyacrylamide gel, but the enzyme appears as ca. 63 kDa on a native gel, suggesting that the enzyme is present in a homodimer. Kinetic analysis of UDP-glucose for UGP indicates $K_m$ = 1.14 mM and $V_{max}$ = 10.09 mM/min/mg at pH 8.0, which was determined to be the optimal pH for UGP catalytic activity. Amino acid sequence alignment against other bacteria suggests that the UGP contains two conserved domains: An activator binding site and a glucose-1-phosphate binding site. Site-directed mutagenesis of Lys194, located within the glucose-1-phosphate binding site, indicates that substitution of the charge-reversible residue Asp for Lys194 dramatically impairs the UGP activity, supporting the hypothesis that Lys194 plays a critical role in the catalysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2013

We have characterized the putative ${\alpha}$-glucosidase gene (st2525) selected by total genome analysis from the acidothermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7. The ORF was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli, and recombinant ST2525 was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Maximum activity was observed at $95^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.0, and the enzyme exhibited stability with half-lives of 40.1 min and 7.75 min at extremely high temperatures of $100^{\circ}C$ and $105^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme retained at least 85% of its maximal activity in the pH range of 4.0-11.0. ST2525 exclusively hydrolyzed ${\alpha}$-1,4-glycosidic linkages of oligosaccharides in an exo-type manner, with highest catalytic efficiency toward maltotriose. The enzyme also displayed transglycosylation activity, converting maltose to isomaltose, panose, maltotriose, isomaltotriose, etc. From these results, ST2525 could be potentially useful for starch hydrolysis as well as novel synthesis of oligosaccharides in industry.