• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.906-911
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• 2003

The function of genes related to spectinomycin biosynthesis (spcD, speA, speB, spcS2) from Streptomyces spectabilis ATCC 27741, a spectinomycin producer, was analyzed. Each gene was subcloned from a spectinomycin biosynthetic gene cluster and overexpressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) using pET vector. After incubating each purified protein with its possible substrates, the final products were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). From these results, spcD, speA, and speB have been identified to be dTDP-glucose synthase, myo-inositol monophosphatase, and myo-inositol dehydrogenase, respectively. In addition, the results suggest that the spcS2 gene product functions downstream of the speB gene product in the biosynthetic pathway of spectinomycin. Taken together, the present study elucidates the early steps of the biosynthetic pathway for 6-deoxyhexose (6-DOH) part (actinospectose) and aminocyclitol part (actinamine) of spectinomycin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7523-7527
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• 2013

Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methylenetetrahydrofolate to dUMP to form dTMP. It is a primary target in the chemotherapy of colorectal cancers and some other neoplasms. In order to obtain pure protein for analysis of structure and biological function, an expression vector TS-pET28b (+) was constructed by inserting wild-type human thymidylate synthase (hTS) cDNA into pET28b (+). Then an expression strain was selected after transformation of the recombined plasmid into Rosetta (DE3). Fusion protein with His-tag was efficiently expressed in the form of inclusion bodies after IPTG induction and the content was approximately 40.0% of total bacteria proteins after optimizing expression conditions. When inclusion bodies were washed, dissolved and purified by Ni-NTA under denatured conditions, the purity was up to 90%. On SDS-PAGE and West-blotting, the protein band was found to match well with the predicted relative molecular mass-36kDa. Bioactivity was 0.1 U/mg. The results indicated that high-level expression of wild-type hTS cDNA can be achieved in prokaryotes with our novel method, facilitating research into related chemotherapy.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2011

Termites play an important role in the degradation of dead plant materials and have acquired endogenous and symbiotic cellulose digestion capabilities. The feruloyl esterase enzyme (FAE) gene amplified from the metagenomic DNA of Coptotermes formosanus gut was cloned in the TA cloning vector and subcloned into a pET32a expression vector. The Ft3-7 gene has 84% sequence identity with Clostridium saccharolyticum and shows amino acid sequence identity with predicted xylanase/chitin deacetylase and endo-1,4-beta-xylanase. The sequence analysis reveals that probably Ft3-7 could be a new gene and that its molecular mass was 18.5 kDa. The activity of the recombinant enzyme (Ft3-7) produced in Escherichia coli (E.coli) was 21.4 U with substrate ethyl ferulate and its specific activity was 24.6 U/mg protein. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were 7.0 and $37^{\circ}C$, respectively. The substrate utilization preferences and sequence similarity of the Ft3-7 place it in the type-D sub-class of FAE.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.635-638
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• 2004

An ATP-binding-cassette (ABC) transporter gene in the cephabacin biosynthetic gene cluster of Lysobacter lactamgenus was characterized. The amplified orf10 (cpbJ) gene was subcloned into pET-28a(+) vector and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) strain by 0.5 mM IPTG at $30^{\circ}C$. The membrane fraction of recombinant E. coli cells was separated by ultracentrifugation, and solubilized using 2.5% octyl-$\beta$-D-glucoside. Using the solubilized membrane fraction, the artificial proteoliposomes were reconstituted and analyzed for the biological activity of CpbJ protein. Upon measuring ATPase activity, the proteoliposome made from recombinant E. coli membrane proteins showed slightly higher activity than that from host E. coli membrane proteins. In the measurement of membrane transport activity, the reconstituted proteoliposome of recombinant E. coli membrane proteins exhibited higher activity when both substrates of cephalosporin C and L-Ala-L-Ser were applied, compared to the case of cephalosporin C or L-Ala-L-Ser only. It implies that the CpbJ protein is an ABC transporter secreting cephabacin antibiotics synthesized in cytoplasm.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.231-237
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• 2011

A gene encoding a putative alanine racemase in Xanthomonas. oryzae pv. oryzae was cloned, expressed and characterized. Expression of the cloned gene was performed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLys using a pET-21(a) vector harbouring $6{\times}histidine$ tag. Purification of the recombinant alanine racemase by affinity chromatography resulted in major one band by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacryl amide gel electrophoresis analysis, showing about 45 kDa of molecular weight. The alanine racemase gene, cloned in this experiment, appears to be constitutively expressed in X. oryzae, as analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The enzyme was the most active toward L-alanine and secondly D-alanine, showing a racemic reaction, thus the enzyme is considered as an alanine racemase. The enzyme was considerably activated by addition of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP), showing that 75% increase in activity was observed at 0.3 mM, compared with control. D-Cysteine as well as L-cysteine significantly inhibited the enzyme activity. The inhibitions by cysteines were more prominent in the absence of PLP, showing 9 and 5% of control activity at 2 mM of addition, respectively. The enzyme was the most active at pH 8.0 and more stable at alkaline pHs than acidic pH condition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.912-918
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• 2003

Mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK), which is a novel kinesin with a central motor domain, is believed to playa role in mitotic segregation of chromosome during the M phase of the cell cycle. In the present study, it is shown that a rabbit polyclonal antibody has been produced using the N-terminal region (187 aa) of human MCAK expressed in E. coli as the antigen. To express the N-terminal region in E. coli, the MCAK cDNA fragment encoding N-terminal 187 aa was obtained by PCR and was then inserted into the pET 3d expression vector. Molecular mass of the N-terminal region overexpressed in the presence of IPTG was 23.2 kDa on SDS-PAGE, and the protein was insoluble and mainly localized in the inclusion body that could be easily purified from the other cellular proteins. The N-terminal region was purified by electro-elution from the gel after the inclusion body was resolved on the SDS-PAGE. The antiserum obtained after tertiary immunization with the purified protein specifically recognized HsMCAK when subjected to Western blot analysis, and showed a fluctuation of the protein level during the cell cycle of human Jurkat T cells. Synchronization of the cell-cycle progression required for recovery of cells at a specific stage of the cell cycle was performed by either hydroxyurea or nocadazole, and subsequent release from each blocking at 2, 4, and 7 h. Northern and Western analyses revealed that both mRNA and protein of HsMCAK reached a maximum level in the S phase and declined to a basal level in the G1 phase. These results indicate that a polyclonal antibody raised against the N-terminal region (187 aa) of HsMCAK, overexpressed in E. coli, specifically detects HsMCAK (81 kDa), and it can analyze the differential expression of HsMCAK protein during the cell cycle.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1776-1781
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• 2012

Multiple viruses such as Lily symptomless virus (LSV), Lily mottle virus (LMoV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are the most prevalent viruses infecting lilies in Korea. Leaf samples and bulbs showing characteristic symptoms of virus infection were collected from Gangwon, Chungnam, and Jeju provinces of Korea in 2008-2011. Coat protein (CP) genes of LSV and LMoV were amplified from collected samples by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cloned into a pET21d(+) expression vector to generate recombinant CPs. The resulting carboxy-terminal His-tagged CPs were expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) by isopropyl-1-thio-${\beta}$-D-galactoside induction. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA agarose beads, and the purified proteins were used as an immunogen to produce polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. The resulting polyclonal antisera recognized specifically LSV and LMoV from infected plant tissues in Western blotting assays. Indirect enzymelinked immunosorbent assay and immunocapture RT-PCR using these polyclonal antisera were developed for the sensitive, efficient, economic, and rapid detection of Lily viruses. These results suggest that large-scale bulb tests and economic detection of Lily viruses in epidemiological studies can be performed routinely using these polyclonal antisera.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.544-549
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• 2014

Lily symptomless virus (LSV), Lily mottle virus (LMoV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are the most prevalent viruses infecting lilies in Korea. Leaf and bulb samples showing characteristic symptoms of virus infection were collected in 2012, and 80 field samples were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The infection frequencies were 79% for LMoV, 5% for LSV, and 3% for CMV. The LMoV coat protein gene was amplified and cloned into the pET21d(+) expression vector to develop serological diagnostic tools to detect LMoV. The resulting carboxy-terminal His-tagged coat proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) by induction with IPTG. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA agarose beads and used as an antigen to produce polyclonal antibodies in laying hens. The resulting egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) specifically recognized LMoV from infected plant tissues in immunoblotting assays and had comparable sensitivity to that of a mammalian antibody. In addition, method of immunocapture RT-PCR using this IgY was developed for sensitive, efficient, and rapid detection of LMoV. Based on these results, large-scale bulb tests and detection of LMoV in epidemiological studies can be performed routinely using this IgY. This is the first report of production of a polyclonal IgY against a plant virus and its use for diagnosis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2018

The expression, purification, and characterization of cold-adapted lipase from the psychrophile, Janthinobacterium sp. were investigated. The gene encoding lipase from Janthinobacterium sp. PAMC 25641 was cloned into a pET28a(+) vector and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence (930 bp) corresponded to a protein having 309 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 32.7 kDa and a pI of 5.55. Recombinant E. coli harboring the Janthinobacterium lipase gene were induced by addition of isopropyl-${\beta}$-D-thiogalactopyranoside. $Ni^{2+}$-NTA affinity chromatography was used to purify the lipase, which had a specific activity of 107.9 U/mg protein. The effect of temperature and pH on the activity of lipase was measured using p-nitrophenyl octanoate as a substrate. The stability of the lipase at low temperatures indicated it is a cold-adapted enzyme. The lipase activity was increased by $Na^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, and $Mn^{2+}$, and decreased by $Zn^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$. Analysis of the lipase activity using various p-nitrophenyl esters showed a strong preference toward short acyl chains of the esters, indicating the ability of the cold-adapted lipase to hydrolyze short-chain esters.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.253-261
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• 2007

Lactadherin is a glycoprotein of human milk fat globule membrane that binds to mucin and butyrophilin forming the protein complex. Especially, mucin and lactadherin in human milk efficiently protect infants with poor immune functions right after birth from infections by microorganisms and play important roles for their early survival, growth and development. Lactadherin inhibits the propagation and growth of rotavirus that is a global pathogen causing infants' diarrhea. Recently this protein was known to promote neovascularization and its deficiency related to develop Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the basic biochemical and physiological aspects of lactadherin were investigated. Messenger RNAs were isolated from mammary tissues from Korean women patients to clone a 1.2 kb cDNA and sequenced its DNA to determine its amino acid sequences. The cDNA was cloned to express its 43 kD protein in E. coli, which was confirmed by Western blot. The recombinant protein was purified and injected to 2 rabbits to raise antibodies against it. The semi-purified milk fat globule membrane proteins from Korean women was analyzed by Western blot using the rabbit antibody to give 70, 55, 46, 30 kD bands. Also several polymorphism and SNPs of lactadherin gene from Korean women were observed compared with those of Caucasian women.