• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권10호
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• pp.1648-1652
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• 2015

Azaphilone polyketides are synthesized by iterative non-reducing fungal polyketide synthases (NR-fPKSs) with a C-terminus reductive domain (-R). Several azaphilone biosynthetic gene clusters contain a putative serine hydrolase gene; the Monascus azaphilone pigment (MAzP) gene cluster harbors mppD. The MAzP productivity was significantly reduced by a knockout of mppD, and the MAzP NR-fPKS-R gene (MpPKS5) generated its product in yeast only when co-expressed with mppD. Site-directed mutations of mppD for conserved Ser/Asp/His residues abolished the product formation from the MpPKS5/mppD co-expression. MppD and its homologs are thus proposed as a new protein factor involved in the product formation of NR-fPKS-R.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.2305-2309
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• 2012

Crocin, the main pigment of Crocus sativus L., has been shown to have antiproliferative effects on cancer cells, but the involved mechanisms are only poor understood. This study focused on probable effect of crocin on the immortality of hepatic cancer cells. Cytotoxicity of crocin ($IC_{50}$ 3 mg/ml) in hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells was determined after 48 h by neutral red uptake assay and MTT test. Immortality was investigated through quantification of relative telomerase activity with a quantitative real-time PCR-based telomerase repeat amplification protocol (qTRAP). Telomerase activity in 0.5 ${\mu}g$ protein extract of HepG2 cells treated with 3 mg/ml crocin was reduced to about 51% as compared to untreated control cells. Two mechanisms of inhibition, i.e. interaction of crocin with telomeric quadruplex sequences and down regulation of hTERT expression, were examined using FRET analysis to measure melting temperature of a synthetic telomeric oligonucleotide in the presence of crocin and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the $T_m$ telomeric oligonucleotides, while the relative expression level of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) gene showed a 60% decrease as compared to untreated control cells. In conclusion, telomerase activity of HepG2 cells decreases after treatment with crocin, which is probably caused by down-regulation of the expression of the catalytic subunit of the enzyme.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.145-160
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• 2018

녹청균류(Chlorociboria spp.)는 청록색 색소를 생산할 수 있는 연부후성 자낭균류로, 한국에 자생하는 녹청균류를 분리하여 다양한 배양 조건에서 균의 생장 특성과 세포외효소 활성을 조사하였다. 비록 균사 생장 속도는 느렸지만, 시험 균주들은 malt extract agar (MEA) 배지를 제외한 potato dextrose agar (PDA)와 Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) 배지에서 비교적 잘 생장하였다. PDA와 SDA 배지 상에서 C. poutoensis의 청록색 색소 발현도는 C. aeruginascens 보다 높았다. 최적 생장 온도는 $20{\sim}25^{\circ}C$이며, $10^{\circ}C$보다 $30^{\circ}C$에서 생장력이 약했다. $10{\sim}20^{\circ}C$에서 모든 균주는 배양 온도가 증가함에 따라 균사 생장력도 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 정치배양 시 potato dextrose broth (PDB) 배지의 최적 생장 pH는 균주에 따라 다르게 나타났다. 60일 배양체의 균체량이 가장 높게 나타난 균주는 NIFoS 579 ($114.3{\pm}5.1mg$)로, 비교적 넓은 pH 범위에서도 청록색 색소 발현을 안정적으로 유지하였다. 녹청균류의 모든 시험 균주은 cellulase와 laccase 활성을 나타냈으며, 다른 균주들보다 NIFoS 579의 효소 활성이 확연히 높았다. 이러한 결과들로부터 NIFoS 579는 청록색 천연 염료제로 이용 가능한 후보 균주라 생각한다.

• 폴리머
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.289-295
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• 2011

망막조직공학을 위한 생체 재료는 기계적 안정성, 생체적합성, 낮은 분해속도 등을 포함하여 in vivo에서 잠재적인 유용성을 위한 몇 가지 중요한 특징이 입증되어야 한다. 실크 필름 생체재료는 이러한 기능적인 요구에 맞게 디자인되었다. 0, 10, 20, 40, 및 80 wt%의 실크가 함유된 천연합성물질과 하이브리드화된 silk/PLGA 필름을 용매 증발법으로 제조하였다. 1, 2, 및 3일 후에 부착된 세포 수를 확인하기 위해 MTT 분석을 하였고 SEM을 통해 필름에 부착된 세포 모폴로지를 확인하였다. 또한, mRNA 발현정도를 알아보기 위해 retinal pigment epithelitun(RPE) 세포의 프라이머인 RPE65를 사용하여 RT-PCR을 실시하였고 RPE 세포의 특정 단백질인 cytokeratin의 발현을 확인하고 세포의 증식을 비교하기 위해 면역화학염색을 실시하였다. 본 실험을 통해 실크/PLGA 필름에서 20~40 wt% 실크를 함유한 경우에 RPE 세포의 부착과 증식에 가장 좋은 영향을 미치는 것을 확인하였다.

• 방사선산업학회지
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.147-152
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• 2012

Anthocyanins are major plant pigment and produced through phenylpropanoid pathway. In this study, anthocyanin biosynthesis mechanisms of chrysanthemum flowers were studied using 'Argus' and flower color mutant 'ARTI-purple' which were induced by 40 Gy gamma irradiation ($Co^{60}$). And, three chrysanthemums, 'Ford', 'Yeonja' and 'Orando' were additionally used as the check varieties to understand the relationship between flower color and expression patterns of genes. The expression patterns of the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes were matched with the flower color of the check varieties. High anthocyanin concentration of 'Orando' showed the high expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. In the white flower of 'Ford', expressions of CHI, DFR and ANS were not identified. Despite different flower color, 'Argus' and 'ARTI-purple' showed different expression patterns compared with the check varieties. From the dot blot analysis, we screened the seven genes showing the different expressions between 'Argus' and 'ARTI-purple'.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.99-107
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• 2015

The aim of the present study was to identify coat color associated genes that are differentially expressed in mature Korean brindle cattle (KBC) with different coat colors and in Hanwoo cows. KBC calves, before and after coat color appearance, were included. Total cellular RNA was isolated from the tail hair cells and used for microarray. The number of expressed coat color associated genes/probes was 5813 in mature KBC and Hanwoo cows. Among the expressed coat color associated genes/probes, 167 genes were the coat color associated genes listed in the Gene card database and 125 genes were the pigment and melanocyte genes listed in the Gene ontology_bovine database. There were 23 genes/probes commonly listed in both databases and their expressions were further studied. Out of the 23 genes/probes, MLPH, PMEL, TYR and TYRP1 genes were expressed at least two fold higher (p<0.01) levels in KBC with brindle color than either Hanwoo or KBC with brown color. TYRP1 expression was 22.96 or 19.89 fold higher (p<0.01) in KBC with brindle color than either Hanwoo or KBC with brown color, respectively, which was the biggest fold difference. The hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that MLPH, PMEL, TYR and TYRP1 were the highly expressed genes in mature cattle. There were only a few genes differentially expressed after coat color appearance in KBC calves. Studies on the regulation and mechanism of gene expression of highly expressed genes would be next steps to better understand coat color determination and to improve brindle coat color appearance in KBC.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권9호
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• pp.1692-1700
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• 2017

Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt in a wide variety of host plant species and produces a melanin-like blackish-brown pigment in stationary phase when grown in minimal medium supplemented with tyrosine. To study melanin production regulation in R. solanacearum, five mutants exhibiting overproduction of melanin-like pigments were selected from a transposon (Tn) insertion mutant library of R. solanacearum SL341. Most of the mutants, except one (SL341T), were not complemented by the original gene or overproduced melanins. SL341T showed Tn insertion in a gene containing a conserved domain of eukaryotic transcription factor. The gene was annotated as a hypothetical protein, given its weak similarity to any known proteins. Upon complementation with its original gene, the mutant strains reverted to their wild-type phenotype. SL341T produced 3-folds more melanin at 72 h post-incubation compared with wild-type SL341 when grown in minimal medium supplemented with tyrosine. The chemical analysis of SL341T cultural filtrate revealed the accumulation of a higher amount of homogentisate, a major precursor of pyomelanin, and a lower amount of dihydroxyphenylalanine, an intermediate of eumelanin, compared with SL341. The expression study showed a relatively higher expression of hppD (encoding hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase) and lower expression of hmgA (encoding homogentisate dioxygenase) and nagL (encoding maleylacetoacetate isomerase) in SL341T than in SL341. SL341 showed a significantly higher expression of tyrosinase gene compared with SL341T at 48 h post-incubation. These results indicated that R. solanacearum produced both pyomelanin and eumelanin, and the novel hypothetical protein is involved in the negative regulation of melanin production.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제36권9호
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• pp.1367-1375
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• 2023

Objective: Pigment production and distribution are controlled through multiple proteins, resulting in different coat color phenotypes of sheep. Methods: The expression distribution of vimentin (VIM) and transthyretin (TTR) in white and black sheep skins was detected by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem MS (LC-ESI-MS/MS), gene ontology (GO) statistics, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to evaluate their role in the coat color formation of sheep. Results: LC-ESI-MS/MS results showed VIM and TTR proteins in white and black skin tissues of sheep. Meanwhile, GO functional annotation analysis suggested that VIM and TTR proteins were mainly concentrated in cellular components and biological process, respectively. Further research confirmed that VIM and TTR proteins were expressed at significantly higher levels in black sheep skins than in white sheep skins by Western blot, respectively. Immunohistochemistry notably detected VIM and TTR in hair follicle, dermal papilla, and outer root sheath of white and black sheep skins. qRT-PCR results also revealed that the expression of VIM and TTR mRNAs was higher in black sheep skins than in white sheep skins. Conclusion: The expression of VIM and TTR were higher in black sheep skins than in white sheep skins and the transcription and translation were unanimous in this study. VIM and TTR proteins were expressed in hair follicles of white and black sheep skins. These results suggested that VIM and TTR were involved in the coat color formation of sheep.

• ALGAE
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.17-30
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• 2024

Red macroalga Pyropia yezoensis is a high valuable cultivated marine crop. Its acclimation to cold stress is especially important for long cultivation period across winter in coasts of warm temperate zone in East Asia. In this study, the response of P. yezoensis thalli to low temperature was analyzed on physiology and transcriptome level, to explore its acclimation mechanism to cold stress. The results showed that the practical photosynthesis activity (indicated by Φ_PSII and qP) was depressed and pigment allophycocyanin content was decreased during the cold stress of 48 h. However, the F_v/F_m and non-photochemical quenching increased significantly after 24 h, and the average growth rate of thalli also rebounded from 24 to 48 h, indicating a certain extent of acclimation to cold stress. On transcriptionally, the low temperature promoted the expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism, while genes related to photosynthetic system were depressed. The increased expression of DEGs involved in ribosomal biogenesis and lipid metabolism which could accelerate protein synthesis and enhance the degree of fatty acid unsaturation, might help P. yezoensis thallus cells to cope with cold stress. Further co-expression network analysis revealed differential expression trends along with stress time, and corresponding hub genes play important roles in the systemic acquired acclimation to cold stress. This study provides basic mechanisms of P. yezoensis acclimation to cold temperature and may aid in exploration of functional genes for genetic breeding of economic macroalgae.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.114-119
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• 2018

Astaxanthin is one of the major carotenoids used in pigment has a great economical value in pharmaceutical markets, feeding, nutraceutical and food industries. This study was to increase the production of astaxanthin by co-expression with transformed Escherichia coli using six genes involved in the non-mevalonate pathway. Involved in the non-mevalonate biosynthetic pathway of the strain Kocuria gwangalliensis were cloned dxs, ispC, ispD, ispE, ispF, ispG, ispH and idi genes in order to increase astaxanthin production from the transformed E. coli. And co-expression with the genes to compared the amount of astaxanthin production. This engineered E. coli, containing both the non-mevalonate pathway gene and the astaxanthin biosynthesis gene cluster, produced astaxanthin at $1,100{\mu}g/g$ DCW (dry cell weight), resulting in approximately three times the production of astaxanthin.