• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.789-795
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• 2004

A promoter-probe shuttle vector pSK1Cat was constructed for the isolation of transcriptional signal sequences from Corynebacterium glutamicum. Besides conferring resistance to kanamycin in Escherichia coli and C. glutamicum, the vector carried a promoterless cat gene to confer resistance to chloramphenicol upon insertion of the appropriate transcriptional signals in the multiple cloning site. By utilizing the vector, a series of transcriptionally active fragments were isolated from the genome of C. glutamicum. The clones, ranging from 200 bp to 1 kb in size, were grouped into 3 classes of strong, medium, and weak, based on the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity and sensitivity to the chloramphenicol of the clone-carrying C. glutamicum cells. C. glutamicum cells carrying the $P_{19}$ clone, a representative in the strong class, were able to grow on minimal agar plates containing over $40 mg/mell$ chloramphenicol, and showed CAT activity of 10 m㏖/mgㆍmin, performing slightly better than the cells carrying $P_{tac}$ , a strong E. coli promoter. Subcloning analysis of the $P_{19}$ clone identified a 180 bp intergenic fragment ($P_{180}$), which was located upstream of a gene encoding a hypothetical membrane protein. The expression conferred by $P_{180}$ was not affected by either the kinds of carbon sources or changes in temperature. These properties make the $P_{180}$ clone useful for the deregulated expression of biosynthetic genes in C. glutamicum during amino acid fermentation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.461-466
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• 2008

Transforming growth $factor-{\beta}$ ($TGF-{\beta}$)-dependent apoptosis is important in the elimination of damaged or abnormal cells from normal tissues in vivo. Gadd45b has been known to participate in $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ apoptosis by the activation of p38 kinase. In this report, we show that Gadd45b is an immediate-early response gene for $TGF-{\beta}$ during apoptosis in EpH4 cells. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ Gadd45b gene expression, we cloned the 5'-flanking region of the mouse Gadd45b gene. When transfected into EpH4 cells, this 5'-flanking region conferred promoter activity and inducibility by $TGF-{\beta}$. Deletion analyses demonstrated that the minimal promoter activity was detected in the proximal region 220 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site. We also found that the proximal Gadd45b promoter is activated by $TGF-{\beta}$ through the action of Smad2, Smad3, and Smad4. Finally, we show that the expression of Gadd45b gene by $TGF-{\beta}$ is suppressed in EpRas cells in which $TGF-{\beta}$ could not induce apoptosis, suggesting that Gadd45b may be a crucial target for $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ apoptosis in EpH4 cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.139-145
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• 2003

The gene encoding Thermus caldophilus GK24 polyphosphate kinase (Tca PPK) was cloned and sequenced. The gene contains an open reading frame encoding 608 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 69,850 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of Tca PPK showed a 40% homology to Escherichia coli PPK, and $39\%$ to Klebsiella aerogenes PPK. The Tca ppk gene was expressed under the control of the T7lac promoter on pET-22b(+) in E. coli and its enzyme was purified about 70-fold with $36\%$ yield, following heating and HiTrap chelating HP column chromatography. The native enzyme was found to have an approximate molecular mass of 580,000 Da and consisted of eight subunits. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 5.5 and $70^{\circ}C$, respectively. A divalent cation was required for the enzyme activity, with $Mg^2+$ being the most effective.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2003

The lipase gene (lipA) and its activator gene (lipB) of Pseudomonas sp. SW-3 were cloned and sequenced. The lipB was found to be present immediately downstream of lipA. The deduced amino acid sequences of lipA and lipB showed a high level of homology to those of other lipases belonging to the family I.1 of bacterial lipases. When lipA was expressed in Escherichia coli using T7 promoter, an active lipase was produced in cells carrying both lipA and lipB, but not in cells harboring only lipA. Recombinant lipase (rPSL) overproduced in an insoluble form was solubilized in the presence of 8 M urea, purified in a urea-denatured form and refolded by removing urea in the presence of the Ca$\^$2+/ ion. rPLS had maximum activity at pH 8.0 and 50$^{\circ}C$, was stable at pHs from 7.0 to 9.0 and below 50$^{\circ}C$, and showed the highest activity toward the p-nitrophenyl ester of palmitate (Cl6).

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2003

A 6.1 kb Sph I fragment from the genomic DNA of Pseudomonas putida SM 25 was cloned into the veetor pUC19. The open reading frame of catB was found to consist of 1,122 nucleotides. The sequence alignment of the catB gene products from different kinds of bacteria revealed an overall identity ranging from 40 to 98%. The catC gene contained an open reading frame of 96 codons, from which a protein with a molecular mass of about 10.6 kDa was predicted. The amino acids in the proposed activesite region of CatC were found to be almost conserved, including the charged residues. Since the catBC genes in P. putida SM25 were tightly linked, the could be regulated under coordinate transcription, and transcribed from a single promoter located upstream of the catB gene, as in P. putida RBI.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.678-686
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• 1995

SecY is a central component of the protein export machinery that mediate the translocation of secretory proteins across the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. In order to study the mechanism of protein secretion in Streptomyces, we have done cloning and sequencing of the Streptomyces coelicolor secY gene by using polymerase chain reaction method. The nucleotide sequence of the gene for SecY from S. coelicolor showed over 58% identity to that of M. luteus. The deduced amino acid sequences were highly homologous to those of other known SecY polypeptides, all having the potential to form 10 transmembrane segments, and especially second, fifth, and tenth segments were particularly conserved, sharing greater than 75% identity with W. lute s SecY. We propose that the conserved membrane-spanning segments actively participate in protein export. In B. subtilis and E. coli, the secY gene is a part of the spc operon, is preceded by the gene coding for ribosomal protein L15, and is likety coupled transcriptionally and translationally to the upstream L15 gene. In the other hand, secY gene of S. coelicolor and M. luteus have its own promoter region, are coupled translationally with adk gene and pr sented in adk operon.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.280-283
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• 1998

We have cloned the RNA polymerase sigma-like factors from a wide range of actinomycetes by using specific primers with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The specific oligonucleotide primers were designed on the basis of amino acid sequences of conserved regions from HrdA, B, D of Streptomyces griseus as well as from the rpoD box of many eubacteria. The consensus sequences were from the rpoD box and helix-turn-helix motif involved in -35 recognition. The designed primers were successfully applied to amplify the DNA fragments of the hrd homolog genes from 8 different strains of actinomycetes which produce a wide variety of important antibiotics. The 480 bp of the DNA fragment was amplified from all 8 strains, and it was identified as a part of hrdA and hrdB as we designed. The deduced amino acid sequence of PCR-amplified DNA fragments were highly homologous to those of other known RNA polymerase sigma factors of S. griseus and Streptomyces aureofaciens. Therefore, this study with specifically designed primers will support rapid cloning of the RNA polymerase sigma factors which recognize different classes of promoters from actinomycetes, and it will also be helpful in understanding the relationship of promoters and sigma factors leading to heterogeneity of RNA polymerases in actinomycetes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.451-460
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• 2010

Starting with the first publication of lacZ gene fusion in 1980, reporter genes have just entered their fourth decade. Initial studies relied on the simple fusion of a promoter or gene with a particular reporter gene of interest. Such constructs were then used to determine the promoter activity under specific conditions or within a given cell or organ. Although this protocol was, and still is, very effective, current research shows a paradigm shift has occurred in the use of reporter systems. With the advent of innovative cloning and synthetic biology techniques and microfluidic/nanodroplet systems, reporter genes and their proteins are now finding themselves used in increasingly intricate and novel applications. For example, researchers have used fluorescent proteins to study biofilm formation and discovered that microchannels develop within the biofilm. Furthermore, there has recently been a "fusion" of art and science; through the construction of genetic circuits and regulatory systems, researchers are using bacteria to "paint" pictures based upon external stimuli. As such, this review will discuss the past and current trends in reporter gene applications as well as some exciting potential applications and models that are being developed based upon these remarkable proteins.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.327-330
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• 2004

An inducible expression system of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) depolymerization was established in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli with the PHB biosynthesis genes. The Ralstonia eutropha PHB depolymerase gene was cloned in a vector system containing the PHB biosynthesis genes and expressed under inducible promoter. Recombinant E. coli harboring the PHB biosynthesis genes and depolymerase gene was first cultured for the accumulation of PHB, and then the depolymerase was expressed resulting in the degradation of accumulated PHB into (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (R3HB). R3HB could be produced with the concentration of 7.6 g/L in flask culture. Two different PHB biosynthesis genes from Alcaligenes latus and R. eutropha were compared for the production of R3HB. This strategy can be used for the production of enantiomerically pure (R)-hydroxycarboxylic acids with high concentration.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.695-702
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• 2005

The groESL bicistronic operon of a restricted facultative methylotrophic bacterium Methylovorus sp. strain SS1 DSM 11726 was cloned and characterized. It was found to consist of two ORFs encoding proteins with molecular masses of 11,395 and 57,396 daltons, which showed a high degree of homology to other bacterial GroES and GroEL proteins. The genes were clustered in the transcription order groES-groEL. Northern blot analyses suggested that the groESL operon is transcribed as a bicistronic 2.2-kb mRNA, the steady-state level of which was markedly increased by temperature elevation. Primer extension analysis demonstrated one potential transcription start site preceding the groESL operon, which is located 100bp upstream of the groES start codon. The transcription start site was preceded by a putative promoter region highly homologous to the consensus sequences of Escherichia coli ${\sigma}^{32}$-type heat shock promoter, which functioned under both normal and heat shock conditions in E. coli. Heat shock mRNA was maximally produced by Methylovorus sp. strain SS1 approximately 10min after increasing the temperature from 30 to $42^{\circ}C$. The groESL operon was also induced by hydrogen peroxide or salt shock.