• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.710-715
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• 2005

A novel recombinant baculovirus, Bactrus, was constructed by the insertion of the Bacillus thuringiensis cry1Ac gene between two polyhedrin genes of Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcNPV) under the control of the polyhedrin gene promoter. Polyhedra produced by Bactrus in insect cells were incorporated with 130 kDa of polyhedrin-Cry1Ac-polyhedrin fusion protein, and 30 kDa of intact polyhedrin, resulting from a homologous recombination between two polyhedrin genes, was also expressed. The insecticidal activity of Bactrus against Spodoptera exigua larvae was similar to that of AcNPV, but it showed significantly higher toxicity towards Plutella xylostella larvae in comparison with that of AcNPV. The expression level of fusion protein and the insecticidal activity of recombinant polyhedra produced by the Bactrus against P. xylostella larvae were decreased after serial passages. In conclusion, the Bactrus had improved insecticidal activity and returned to wild-type AcNPV after several passages.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.482-490
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• 2001

The gene for glycoprotein B (gB2) of HSV-2-strain G was subcloned, sequenced, recombinated into the lacZ-HcNPV, expressed in insect cells, and compared with the homologous gene of other HSV-2 strains. The ORF of the gB2 gene was 2,715 bp. The overall nucleotide sequence homology of te gB2 gene compared ith that of the two previously reported HSV-2 strains appeared to be over 98%. A recombinant virus named Baculo-gB2 protein in insect cells. The recombination was confirmed by a PCR and the expression was demonstrated by radio immunoprecipitation. Insect cells infected with the Baculo-gB2 virus synthesized and processed gB2 with approximately 120 kDa in the cells, and then secreted it into the culture media, where it reacted with a nomoclonal antibody to gB2. The gB2 polypeptide contained two main hydrophobic regions (a signal sequence from 1 to 23 amino acid residues, and a membrane anchor sequence from aa 745 to 798), eight N-glycosylation sites evenly distributed, and was rich in alanine (11.2%). Antibodies to this recombinant protein that were raised in mice recognized the viral gB2 and neutralized the infectivity of the HSV-2 in vitro. There results show that the gB2 protein was successfully porduced in insect cells and could be used to raise a protective neutralizing antibody. Accordingly, this particular recombinant protein may be useful in the development of a subunit vaccine.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.315-319
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• 2003

A novel method is developed to yield virus titers in 10 h, is easy to .perform using 96-well plates, and applicable to both any Autographa californica nucleopolyhyderovirus (AcNPV) and Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)-based recombinant baculovirus. This assay uses an antibody to a DNA-binding protein to detect the infected cells via immune-staining. The titer is determined by counting foci produced due to infection of virus under a fluorescent microscopy. The required incubation period was shortened considerably because infected cells expressed viral antigens at the post infection time of 4 h. Therefore, 10 hours were enough to estimate the virus titer including virus infection time, insect cell culture, and estimation of virus titer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 1998

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core proteins from two different isolates (HCV-1 and HCV-RH) were expressed in Spotioptera Jrugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. The RH core consisted of two major species of proteins (21 kDa and 19 kDa). On the other hand, the HCV-1 core was approximately 16 kDa in a SDS-PAGE gel. Both core proteins were phosphorylated in vivo on serine residues. Furthermore, the RH core but not HCV-1 core formed dimers, indicating that the protein conformation of the core in these two isolates is dfferent from one another. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the RH core was present in the cytoplasm, whereas the HCV-1 core was localized predominantly to the nucleus in recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. Since the major difference between the two isolates is the codon 9 of the core protein, a single amino acid substitution appears to play a major role in the protein conformation and these properties may reflect the different biological functions of core proteins in HCV-infected cells.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2006

The baculovirus-insect Drosophila melanogaster S2 cell system combines advantages of conventional baculovirus system and non-lytic S2 cell system because baculoviruses can infect non-permissive cells such as mammalian and Drosophila S2 cells but cannot replicate themselves inside the cells. In the present work, we investigated effects of infection conditions on production of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a target protein using this baculovirus-S2 cell system. Even though higher MOI and longer baculovirus contact time showed better GFP expression yield during the shorter period, overall protein yield could be lower during the longer period due to the relatively higher cell detachment and lysis (lower cell viability). In addition, maintaining high MOI will be not practical for large-scale cell culture. Therefore, instead of maintaining high MOI, we found that high initial cell number and concentrated (10X) baculovirus volume can confer comparable protein expression even under the moderate MOI condition. Also, we found that the post-infection time that is connected to state of cells after infection was an important factor for production yield.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.139-145
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• 2000

The Flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMOs) (EC1.14.13.8) are NADPH-dependent flavoenzymes that catalyze oxidation of soft nucleophilic heteroatom centers in a range of structurally diverse compounds, including foods, drugs, pesticides, and other xenobiotics. In humans, FMO3 is quantitatively a major human liver monooxygenase. In the present study, the baculovirus expression vector system was used to overexpress human FMO3 in insect cells for catalytic studies. Six commercially available organic selenium compounds were examined for substrate activity with microsomes isolated from Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf)9 cells infected with human FMO3 recombinant baculovirus. While none of the aromatic heterocyclic selenides tested showed detectable activity, all dialkyl- and alkylaryl-selenides free from ionic groups catalyzed the NADPH- and O$_2$-dependent oxidation. Kinetic constants demonstrate that (based on Km) dialkyl-and alkylaryl- selenides are better substrates for human FMO3 than analogous nitrogen or sulfur compounds .

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2001

The flavin-containing monooxygenases(FMOs) (EC1.14.13.8) are NADPH0dependent flavoenzymes that catalyze oxidation of soft nucleophilic heteroatom centers in a range of structurally diverse compounds, including foods, drugs, pesticides, and other xenobiotics. In humans, FMO3 is quantitatively a major human liver monooxygenase. In the present study, the baculovirus expression vector system was used to overexpress human FMO3 in sect cells for stalytic studies. Microsomes isolated from Spodoptera frugiperda(Sf)9 cells infected with human FMO3 recombinant baculovirus catalyzed the NADPH-and O$_2$-dependent oxidation of methimazole, thiourea, and phenylthiourea. However there was no detectable activity with 1, 3-diphenylthiourea or larger thiocarbamides. Microsomes from control Sf9 cells were devoid of methimazole or thiourea S-oxygenase activity. 1, 3-diphenylthiourea is apparently completely excluded from the catalytic site, these amines drugs are probably approaching the upper size limits of xenobiotics accepted by human FMO3. The substrate specificity of this iosform in humans appears considerably more restriceted than that of pig, guinea pig, rat or rabbit FMO3.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

Rotavirus virus-like particle (VLP) composed of VP2, VP6, and VP7 was expressed in the Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS). Sf9 cell, a host of the baculovirus, was cultured from a 0.5-1 spinner flask to the 50-1 bioreactor system. Sf9 cell was maintained at cell density between 3.0E＋05 and 3.0E＋06 cells/ml and grew up to 1.12E＋07 cells/ml in the bioreactor. Growth kinetics was compared under different culture systems and showed similar growth kinetics with 20.1-25.2 h of doubling time. Early exponentially growing cell culture was infected with three recombinant baculoviruses expressing VP2, VP6, and VP7 protein at 1.0, 2.0, and 0.2 moi, respectively. The expression of rotavirus proteins was confirmed by Western blot analysis and its three-layered virus-like structure was observed under an electron microscope. Rotavirus VLP was semipurified and immunized in ICR mice intramuscularly. Rotavirus-specific serum antibody was detected from 2 weeks after the immunization and lasted at least 21 weeks of the post-immunization, indicating its possible use as a vaccine candidate.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.18-23
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• 2007

Fe65, a neuron-specific adaptor protein, has two phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains. The second PTB (PTB2) domain interacts with intracellular domain fragment (AICD) of amyloid beta precursor protein (APP). Recent studies suggested that tile complex is composed of AICD and Fe65 transactivates genes that are responsible for neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, a compound inhibiting the interaction between Fe65 and AICD can be a drug candidate to treat AD. However, it remains unclear how Fe65 recognizes AICD at a molecular level. Here, we report high-level production of the PTB2 domain of Fe65 in the baculovirus system. We found that the baculovirus system is an efficient method to obtain the Fe65 PTB2 domain, compared with the bacterial and mammalian expression systems. The purified recombinant protein was used for crystallization to determine its crystal structure helping to understand the molecular mechanism of Fe65-dependent signaling and to design its inhibitors.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.247-265
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• 1998

To determine the sequence and expression of the VP7 gene of Korean isolates (CAU-9), viral RNA was purified and used for cDNA amplification by RT-PCR. The VP7 cDNA was cloned, sequenced, and expressed using baculovirus expression system. The result showed that the sequence homologies CAU-9 compared with foreign isolated strains Wa, 417, TMC-II, 95B and SA11 were ranged from 74.0% to 95.1 % of nucleotide sequence and 35% to 43% of amino acid sequence, respectively. High homology of CAU-9 was observed in Japanease isolates 417 (nucleotide sequence homology was 95.1% and amino acid sequence homology was 43%). To express VP7 gene, the VP7 cDNA was cloned into pCR-Bac vector and inserted into the genome of baculovirus adjacent to the polyhedrin promoter by cotransfection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells with wild type baculovirus DNA. In antigenic analysis of Sf9 cells inoculated with the recombinant VP7, immunofluorescence assay revealed positive for viral antigens. In metabolic labeling of Sf9 cell lysates infected with recombinant baculoviruses, it was revealed that the protein of 34 kDa was expressed. The limited study of expressed VP7 protein inoculated with guinea pigs failed to elicit neutalizing antibody. As a results, the sequence analysis and expression of VP7 protein of rotavirus CAU-9 isolated from an infant in Korea could permit the conformation and development of virus like particles which may be useful in designing vaccine strategy.