• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2004

Protein modification by N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosamine (O-G1cNAc) on the hydroxyl groups of Ser or Thr ubiq-uitously occurs in eukaryotic cells and is involved in many cellular phenomena. The level of O-G1cNAc-mod-ified protein is regulated by OGT and O-GlcNAcase enzymes. We have tried to produce recombinant O-GlcNAcase in E. coli as an effort to establish in vitro screening system for modulators of O-GlcNAcase. The culture conditions for improvement of O-GlcNAcase productivity, were as follows: induction temperature, $30^{\circ}C$; the concentration of L-arabinose, 0.02% and induction time, 5 hr. Under these culture conditions, E. coli cells containing O-GlcNAcase gene had no enzyme activity until up to 3 hr culture. However, O-GlcNAcase activity dramatically increased from 3 to 5 hr culture. It almost maintained the same level after 5 hr culture. Western blot analysis verified the amount of expressed O-GlcNAcase increased with culture time, being con-sistent with activity data. The optimal reaction condition determined in this study was as follows: protein quan-tity, $5{\mu}g$; reaction time, 30 min; reaction temperature, $45^{\circ}C$; substrate concentration, 2 mM; reaction pH, 6.5. Methanol had little effect on O-GlcNAcase activity and 90% of activity were retained at 10%. Only 15% resid-ual activity were detected at 5% of chloroform.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.356-365
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• 2021

Recently, we sequenced the entire genome of a freshwater agar-degrading bacterium Cellvibrio sp. KY-GH-1 (KCTC13629BP) to explore genetic information encoding agarases that hydrolyze agarose into monomers 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose (L-AHG) and D-galactose. The KY-GH-1 strain appeared to possess nine β-agarase genes and two α-neoagarobiose hydrolase (α-NABH) genes in a 77-kb agarase gene cluster. Based on these genetic information, the KY-GH-1 strain-caused agarose degradation into L-AHG and D-galactose was predicted to be initiated by both endolytic GH16 and GH86 β-agarases to generate NAOS (NA4/NA6/NA8), and further processed by exolytic GH50 β-agarases to generate NA2, and then terminated by GH117 α-NABHs which degrade NA2 into L-AHG and D-galactose. More recently, by employing E. coli expression system with pET-30a vector we obtained three recombinant His-tagged GH50 family β-agarases (GH50A, GH50B, and GH50C) derived from Cellvibrio sp. KY-GH-1 to compare their enzymatic properties. GH50A β-agarase turned out to have the highest exolytic β-agarase activity among the three GH50 isozymes, catalyzing efficient NA2 production from the substrate (agarose, NAOS or AOS). Additionally, we determined that GH117A α-NABH, but not GH117B α-NABH, could potently degrade NA2 into L-AHG and D-galactose. Sequentially, we examined the enzymatic characteristics of GH50A β-agarase and GH117A α-NABH, and assessed their efficiency for NA2 production from agarose and for production of L-AHG and D-galactose from NA2, respectively. In this review, we describe the benefits of recombinant GH50A β-agarase and GH117A α-NABH originated from Cellvibrio sp. KY-GH-1, which may be useful for the enzymatic hydrolysis of agarose for mass production of L-AHG and D-galactose.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2012

Helicobacter pylori is an important factor of chronic gastritis, digestive ulcer, and stomach cancer. CagL, a virulence factor of H. pylori, is well-known as a pilus protein which acts as adhesion to host cell and a component of Type 4 secretion system. In this study, we evaluated the protective response of recombinant CagL protein (rCagL) using Mongolian gerbil animal model for H. pylori infection. The cagL gene was cloned from 26695 H. pylori followed by over-expression and purification of the protein in E. coli. Mongolian gerbils were immunized with rCagL protein mixed with aluminum adjuvant via intramuscular injections once a week during 4 weeks. At a week after the last immunization, the Mongolian gerbils were administrated with H. pylori 7.13 strain into the stomach and sacrificed to measure antibody titer on rCagL by ELISA and bacterial colonization in the stomach, and to examine the histopathological changes and cytokine expression at 6 week after challenge. Antibody titers on recombinant protein were significantly increased from a week after the first immunization. There was no significant change of the number of bacterial colony between control group and immunized group. The relative stomach weight was significantly decreased in immunized group, but the significant change of histopathological assessment was not observed in the stomach. Cytokine expression such as IL-$1{\beta}$ and KC also was not significantly different between control and immunized groups. These results indicate that rCagL could effectively induce the formation of the specific IgG antibodies. However, bacterial colonization and histopathological lesions could not be inhibited by the immunization in the stomach, indicating not enough protection against H. pylori infection. We consider that along with CagL other adequate antigens could be needed stimulating immune response and inducing protective effects against gastric disease, and also a better adjuvant could be considered.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.66-75
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• 2001

A survey was conducted to investigate consumers'attitudes toward the foods developed by gene recombination techniques from December, 1999 to April, 2000. The questionnaires were mailed to 1,500 people, and the 1,101 people responded. The consumers were asked about knowledge, acceptance, intention of purchasing, and labeling information. Although the portion of the consumers (88.8%) knowing the genetically modified floods (GMF) was lower than that of the flood expert group (98.7%), many consumers had some knowledge on the GMF, which may be influenced by news released from mass media. Seventy-nine percent of the consumers responded that gene recombination technology is necessary in food production, which is similar to the findings on the survey of the expert group. The portion of the consumers responding that these foods are potentially hazard was 88.1%, which is a little higher than the data (80.9%) from the expert group. The consumers having greater knowledge less worried about a potential hazard of the gene recombinant foods (p<0.01). Although 62.9% of the consumers responded to be willing to purchase those foods, only 16.2% of them responded to purchase the foods with no conditions, which is lower to that from the expert group (23.5%). There was no statistically significant relationship between the knowledge and the intention of purchasing. The ninety point three percent of the consumers wanted the information on gene recombination to be labeled on the foods. The data from this survey suggest that knowledge of the consumers on the GMF are not accurate, so proper strategy for consumer education may need to be developed. In addition, it is necessary to improve safety assessment system and analytical techniques for genetically modified foods (GMF) and to build pre- and post-market surveillance system fur efficient implementation of the GMF labeling.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2002

Background: Viral antigens presented on the cell surface in association with MHC class I molecules are recognized by CD8+ T cells. MHC restricted peptides are important in eliciting cellular immune responses. As peptide antigens have a weak immunigenicity, pH-sensitive liposomes were used for peptide delivery to induce effective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. In the previous study, as the HBx peptides could induce specific CTLs in vitro, we tested whether the HLA-A2/$K^b$ transgenic mice that were immunized by HBx-derived peptides could be protected from a viral challenge. Methods: HBx-peptides encapsulated by pH-sensitive liposomes were prepared. $A2K^b$ transgenic mice were immunized i.m. on days one and seven with the indicated concentrations of liposome-encapsulated peptides. Three weeks later, mice were infected with $1{\times}10^7pfu$/head of recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV)-HBx via i.p. administration. The ovaries were extracted from the mice, and the presence of rVV-HBx in the ovaries was analyzed using human TK-143B cells. IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion by these cells was directly assessed using a peptide-pulsed target cell stimulation assay with either peptide-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs), concanavalin A ($2{\mu}g/ml$), or a vehicle. To generate peptide-specific CTLs, splenocytes obtained from the immunized mice were stimulated with $20{\mu}g/ml$ of each peptide and restimulated with peptide-pulsed APC four times. The cytotoxic activity of the CTLs was assessed by standard $^{51}Cr$-release assay and intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ assay. Results: Immunization of these peptides as a mixture in pH-sensitive liposomes to transgenic mice induced a good protective effect from a viral challenge by inducing the peptide-specific CD8+ T cells. Mice immunized with $50{\mu}g/head$ were much better protected against viral challenge compared to those immunized with $5{\mu}g$/head, whereas the mice immunized with empty liposomes were not protected at all. After in vitro CTL culture by peptide stimulation, however, specific cytotoxicity was much higher in the CTLs from mice immunized with $5{\mu}g/head$ than $50{\mu}g/head$ group. Increase of the number of cells that intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ secreting cell among CD8+ T cells showed similar result. Conclusion: Mice immunized with XEPs within pH-sensitive liposome were protected against viral challenge. The protective effect depended on the amount of antigen used during immunization. XEP-3-specific CTLs could be induced by peptide stimulation in vitro from splenocytes obtained from immunized mice. The cytotoxic effect of CTLs was measured by $^{51}Cr$-release assay and the percentage of accumulated intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ secreting cells after in vitro restimulation was measured by flow cytometric analysis. The result of $^{51}Cr$-release cytotoxicity test was well correlated with that of the flow cytometric analysis. Viral protection was effective in immunized group of $50{\mu}g/head$, while in the in vitro restimulation, it showed more spectific response in $5{\mu}g$/head group.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.387-395
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• 2018

This study was conducted to identify DNA markers related to resistance to herbicide containing mesotrione in Tongil type rice. Two Tongil type elite lines; Milyang154 and Suweon382, showed resistance to mesotrione, whereas the others were susceptible at 20 days after mesotrione application, and severe growth inhibition was observed in the remaining 13 lines. As a result of analysis of mesotrione resistance using 190 $F_2$ populations derived from a cross of Hanareum2 (susceptible) and Milyang154 (resistant), the mesotrione resistance locus was shown to be a single dominant gene with a 3:1 segregation ratio ($X^2=1.19$, P=0.31). To identify a DNA marker closely linked to the mesotrione resistance gene, bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was adopted. The DNA marker RM3501 was identified on chromosome 2 with a recombinant value of 0.53 to the mesotrione resistance gene. Mst1(t) was located between SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers RM3501 and RM324 with a physical map distance of 10.2 Mb-11.4 Mb on chromosome 2. The band pattern of agarose gel electrophoresis of the SSR marker RM3501 showed the same segregation pattern with respect to mesotrione treatment in 20 Tongil type varieties and a $BC_2F_2$ segregation population derived from a cross between Unkwang (resistant) and Hanareum2 (susceptible). Thus, the RM3501 DNA marker could be used in breeding programs for Marker Assisted Selection in mesotrione resistant rice breeding.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.200-211
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• 1993

Somatic hybrids of Pleurotus florida ASI 2016 and Pleurotus ostreatus ASI 2018 were obtained by protoplast fusion. The 40 fusants($P1{\sim}P40$) was examined for the yield on fermented and pasteurized rice straw in a tray. The carpophore yield of them were showed as the range of $27.0{\sim}155.2$, based on parental values of 100(ASI 2018), The pilei of fusants between orange white colored P. florida and dark grey colored P. ostreatus had mixed colors in the young stage. Other breeding programmes were performed to improve new varieties with high yield and good quality. A new oyster mushroom variety, Wonhyeongneutaribeosus(P72), was developed at the Agricultural Sciences Institute, Rural Development Administration in 1990. This P.florida-ostreatus-ostreatus hybrid P72 was selected from 38 protoplast fusion products($P41{\sim}P78$) between P.florida-ostreatus recombinant P5-M 43-arg rib and P. ostreatus ASI 2-13-0 2001-19-pro orn. The yield indexes of 38 hybrids ranged $40.5{\sim}152.7$ compared with the parental values of 100(ASI 2001). Hybrid P72 was characterized by the large fruiting bundle of semispherical shape with long stipe and by the small and circular pileus, resulting in lower harvesting cost. A significant increase in carpophore production was observed in somatic hybrids of protoplasts due to heterosis. A comparision of hybrid with parents P72 was made using isozyme analysis. The esterase banding patterns could be characterized by new bands in the hybrids. Seven fusion products of four crosses between P.florida ASI 2016 and P. ostreatus ASI 2018 were analysed with respect to the distribution of progenies and segregation of gene markers by random basidiospore analysis. Segregation of alleles should yield progeny of four genotypes in a Mendelian ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 for prototrophs, auxotrophs of one parental type, auxotrophs of the other parental type, and auxotrophic recombinants, respectively. However, five fusants of them did not detect one parental, P.ostreatus, type. Basidiospores could yield progeny of 16 genotypes in the cross of one of the recombinant P5-M43-arg $rib{\times}P. ostreatus$ ASI 2-13-pro orn but the segregants of three fusants were not detected clearly. The allele ratio of loci could be expected 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 for arg, rib, pro and orn. The ratio, however, would be changed to 4 : 1 : 1 : 1 with increasing proportion of argo In almost all the fusants, prototrophic recombinants were recovered in large numbers against auxotrophic markers. Parental genotypes were recovered with the recombinant progeny amounting to $38.68{\sim}99.56%$. The analysis provides proof of heterokaryosis and strong evidence for haploidy of vegetative nuclei, a sexual cycle consisting of nuclear fusion and meiosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.835-840
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• 2018

Quantitative determination of the protein expression levels is one of the most important parts in assessment of the safety of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) crops. Overexpression of AtCYP78A7, a gene encoding cytochrome P450 protein, has been reported to improve tolerance to abiotic stress, such as drought and salt stress, in transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.). In the present study, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for diagnosing AtCYP78A7 protein including AtCYP78A7-specific monoclonal antibody was developed. GST-AtCYP78A7 recombinant protein was induced and purified by affinity column. Four monoclonal antibodies (mAb 6A7, mAb 4C2, mAb 11H6, and mAb 7E8) against recombinant protein were also produced and biotinylated with avidin-HRP. After pairing test using GST-AtCYP78A7 protein and lysate of rice samples, mAb 4C2 and mAb 7E8 were selected as a capture antibody and a detecting antibody, respectively, for ELISA kit. Product test using rice samples indicated that percentages of detected protein in total protein were greater than 0.1% in AtCYP78A7-overexpressing transgenic rice (Line 10B-5 and 18A-4), whereas those in negative control non-transgenic rice (Ilpum and Hwayoung) were less than 0.1%. The ELISA kit developed in this study can be useful for the rapid detection and safety assessment of transgenic rice overexpressing AtCYP78A7.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.406-414
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• 2016

Among 6 leu codons, CUG is the most frequently used codon in E. coli. It is recognized by leu-tRNA(CAG) encoded by four genes scattered on two chromosomal loci (leuT and leuPQV ). In the process of constructing a strain with no functional leu-tRNA (CAG) gene on chromosome, we made two mutant strains separately, one on leuPQV locus (${\Delta}leuPQV$), and the other on leuT locus [$leuT^*$(GAG)], where the anticodon of leuT was changed from CAG to GAG, thereby altering its recognition codon from CUG to CUC. We attempted to combine these two mutations by transduction using $leuT^*$(GAG) strain as a donor and ${\Delta}leuPQV$ strain as a recipient. Large and small colonies appeared from this transduction. From PCR and DNA sequencing, large colony was confirmed to be the reciprocal recombinant as expected, but the small colonies contained both mutant $leuT^*$(GAG) and wild type leuT (CAG) genes in the cell. This heterozygous diploid strain did not show any unusual morphology under microscopic observation, but, interestingly, it showed a linear growth curve in rich medium with much slower growth rate than wild type cell. It always formed homogenous small colonies in the selection medium, but, when there was no selection, it readily segregated into $leuT^*$(GAG) and leuT (CAG). From these observations, we suggested that the strain with both $leuT^*$(GAG) and leuT (CAG) genes was not a partial diploid (merodiploid), but a full diploid cell having two different chromosomes. We proposed a model explaining how such a heterozygous diploid cell was formed and how and why its growth showed a linear growth curve.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.332-338
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• 2009

A xylan-decomposing bacterium, HY-20, was isolated from the gut of a honeybee, Apis mellifera, and identified as Bacillus sp. The extracellular GH11 xylanase (XylP) gene (687-bp) of strain HY-20 encoded a protein of 228 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 25,522 Da and a calculated pI of 9.33. The primary structure of XylP was 97% identical to that of B. pumilus xylanase (GenBank accession no.: AY526092) that has not been characterized yet. The recombinant His-tagged enzyme (rXylP) overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 harboring pET-28a(+)/xylP was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by cation exchange and gel permeation chromatographies. The purified enzyme exhibited the highest catalytic activity toward birchwood xylan at pH 6.5 and $50^{\circ}C$ and retained approximately 50% of its original activity when pre-incubated at $55^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. The recombinant enzyme was completely inactivated by $Hg^{2+}$ (1 mM) and N-bromosuccinimide (5 mM), while its activity was slightly stimulated by approximately 10% in the presence of $Mn^{2+}$ (1 mM), $Fe^{2+}$ (1 mM), and sodium azide (5 mM). rXylP was able to efficiently degrade various polymeric xylose-based substrates but PNP-sugar derivatives and glucose-based polymers were not susceptible to the enzyme.