• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 2000

A clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae K7746 produced the extended-spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase (ESBL) SHV-12. A 6.6 kb BamHI fragment containing the $bla_{SHV-12}$ gene of K7746 strain was cloned into pCRScriptCAM vector resulting in the recombinant plasmid p7746-Cl. The restriction map of 3.6 kb inserted DNA and sequences immediately surrounding $bla_{SHV-12}$ of p7746-C1 were homologous to plasmid pMPA2a carrying $bla_{SHV-2a}$. In addition, both $bla_{SHV-12}$ and $bla_{SHV-2a}$ were expressed from a common hybrid promoter made of the -35 region derived from the left inverted repeat of IS26 and the -10 region from the $bla_{SHV}$ promoter itself. The results indicate that $bla_{SHV-12}$ and $bla_{SHV-2a}$ may have evolved from a common ancestor in the sequential order of $bla_{SHV-2a}$ first, followed by $bla_{SHV-12}$. Furthermore, by the PCR mapping method using primers corresponding to the IS26 and $bla_{SHV}$, the association between IS26 and $bla_{SHV}$ was studied in 12 clinical isolates carrying $bla_{SHV-2a}$, 27 clinical isolates carrying $bla_{SHV-12}$, and 5 reference strains carrying $bla_{SHV-1}$ to $bla_{SHV-5}$. All 39 strains carrying $bla_{SHV-2a}$ or $bla_{SHV-12}$ were positive by the PCR, providing confirmative evidence that IS26 has been involved in the evolution and dissemination of $bla_{SHV-2a}$ and $bla_{SHV-12}$. But 5 reference strains carrying $bla_{SHV-1}$ to $bla_{SHV-5}$ were negative by the PCR. Therefore, we concluded that the molecular evolutionary pathway of $bla_{SHV-2a}$ and $bla_{SHV-12}$ may be different from that of other $bla_{SHV-ESBL}$, e.g., $bla_{SHV-2}$, $bla_{SHV-3}$, $bla_{SHV-4}$, and $bla_{SHV-5}$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2012

A 990 bp full-length gene (xynAHJ2) encoding a 329-residue polypeptide (XynAHJ2) with a calculated mass of 38.4 kDa was cloned from Bacillus sp. HJ2 harbored in a saline soil. XynAHJ2 showed no signal peptide, distinct amino acid stretches of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10 intracellular endoxylanases, and the highest amino acid sequence identity of 65.3% with the identified GH 10 intracellular mesophilic endoxylanase iM-KRICT PX1-Ps from Paenibacillus sp. HPL-001 (ACJ06666). The recombinant enzyme (rXynAHJ2) was expressed in Escherichia coli and displayed the typical characteristics of low-temperature-active enzyme (exhibiting optimum activity at $35^{\circ}C$, 62% at $20^{\circ}C$, and 38% at $10^{\circ}C$; thermolability at ${\geq}45^{\circ}C$). Compared with the reported GH 10 low-temperature-active endoxylanases, which are all extracellular, rXynAHJ2 showed low amino acid sequence identities (<45%), low homology (different phylogenetic cluster), and difference of structure (decreased amount of total accessible surface area and exposed nonpolar accessible surface area). Compared with the reported GH 10 intracellular endoxylanases, which are all mesophilic and thermophilic, rXynAHJ2 has decreased numbers of arginine residues and salt bridges, and showed resistance to $Ni^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, or EDTA at 10 mM final concentration. The above mechanism of structural adaptation for low-temperature activity of intracellular endoxylanase rXynAHJ2 is different from that of GH 10 extracellular low-temperature-active endoxylanases. This is the first report of the molecular and biochemical characterizations of a novel intracellular low-temperature-active xylanase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1971-1982
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• 2017

Piliated Lactobacillus rhamnosus (pLR) strains possess higher adherent capacity than non-piliated strains. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize probiotic pLR strains in human fecal samples. To this end, mouse polyclonal antiserum (anti-SpaA) against the recombinant pilus protein (SpaA) of L. rhamnosus strain GG (LGG) was prepared and tested for its reactivity and specificity. With the anti-SpaA, a method combining the de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) agar plating separation and colony immunoblotting (CIB) was developed to isolate pLR from 124 human fecal samples. The genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the resultant pLR isolates were compared by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting, and examination of adhesion to Caco-2 cells, hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, and in vitro gastrointestinal tolerance. Anti-SpaA specifically reacted with three pLR strains of 25 test strains, as assessed by western blotting, immunofluorescence flow cytometry, and immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) assays. The optimized MRS agar separation plus anti-SpaA-based CIB procedure could quantitatively detect $2.5{\times}10^3CFU/ml$ of pLR colonies spiked in $10^6CFU/ml$ of background bacteria. Eight pLR strains were identified in 124 human fecal samples, and were confirmed by 16S RNA gene sequencing and IEM identification. RAPD fingerprinting of the pLR strains revealed seven different patterns, of which only two isolates from infants showed the same RAPD profiles with LGG. Strain PLR06 was obtained with high adhesion and autoaggregation activities, hydrophobicity, and gastrointestinal tolerance. Anti-SpaA-based CIB is a rapid and inexpensive method for the preliminary screening of novel adherent L. rhamnosus strains for commercial purposes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2004

A strong constitutive PJH promoter from Bacillus sp. was applied to overexpress the endoxylanase gene (639 bp) in Bacillus subtilis. The expression plasmid, pJHKJ4, was designed to contain the $P_{JH}$ promoter and open reading frame of endoxylanase including its own promoter. The plasmid was introduced into B. subtilis DB431 and the resulting transformant was grown on LB glucose medium. At the end of cultivation, the endoxylanase activity in the culture supernatant reached about 140 DIm!. The enzyme in the supernatant was concentrated by ultrafiltration (MW cut-off 10 kDa and 30 kDa) and ammonium sulfate precipitation. For the concentration of the enzyme, ultrafiltration was more efficient than 70% ammonium sulfate precipitation. The stabilization of concentrated enzyme solution at $50^{\circ}C$ was examined with various stabilizers such as NaCI, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, sorbitol, and $CaCI_2$. The most effective stabilizers were found to be NaCI and $CaCI_2$.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 1998

The overproduction and high level secretion of Glucose Oxidase (GOD) from A. niger in S. cerevisiae was carried out by cloning GOD gene. For this purpose, using two different strong promoters (ADH1 promoter, GAL10 promoter) and signal sequences (${alpha}$-MF signal sequence of S. cerevisiae and ${alpha}$-amylase signal sequence of A. oryzae) and GAL7- and GOD terminator, four expression vectors were constructed. All the expression vectors were transformed in S. cerevisiae 2805 using auxotroph method. By the flask culture, transformants of pGAL expression vector series containing GAL 10 promotor showed much higher GOD productivity than transformants of pADH expression vector series containing ADH1 promoter Transformants of pGALGO2 containing GAL10 promotor and ${alpha}$-amylase signal sequence has shown the best productivity of GOD ($GOD_{total}$: 10.3 unit/mL, $GOD_{ex}$: 8.7 unit/mL) at 115 hr. This value was three fold higher than that of pGALGO1 containing GAL 10 promotor and ${alpha}$-MF signal sequence, even if the same promotor was involved. Through the ${alpha}$-amylase signal sequence of A. oryzae, GOD was secreted much more than the case of ${alpha}$-MF signal sequence from S. cerevisiae. These results suggest that signal sequence may play a important roles in not only the secretion but also the overproduction of foreign protein. Secretion rate of GOD in pGALGO1 and pGALGO2 was 89% and 84%, respectively, Because of the overglycosylation in S. cerevisiae the molecular weight of recombinant GOD in S. cerevisiae was much larger (250 kDa) than that of nature GOD in A. niger (170 kDa).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1637-1643
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• 2008

This study has investigated whether extracellular HSP90 predisposes vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to pro-inflammatory phenotype. Exposure of rat aortic smooth muscle cells to HSP90 not only enhanced IL-6 release but also profoundly induced IL-6 transcript via promoter activation. HSP90-induced IL-6 promoter activation was suppressed by dominant-negative forms of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), but not by dominant-negative-forms of TLR-3 and TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-${\beta}$ (TRIF). Curcumin, which inhibits dimerization of TLR-4, also attenuated the IL-6 induction by HSP90. Mutation at the NF-${\kappa}B$- or C/EBP-binding site in the IL-6 promoter region suppressed the promoter activation in response to HSP90. The gene delivery of $I{\kappa}B$ using recombinant adenoviruses and treatment with resveratrol, which inhibit NF-${\kappa}B$ activity, attenuated the HSP90-induced IL-6 release from VSMCs. The present study proposes that extracellular HSP90 would contribute to inflammatory reaction in the stressed vasculature by inducing IL-6 in VSMCs, and that TLR-4 and NF-${\kappa}B$ would play active roles in the process.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.211-214
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• 2001

Utilizing the foreign gene expression system of Drosophila melanogaster Schneider line 2(S2) cell, the degree of transient protein and mRNA expression was examined with different terminators. In the case of transient expression, the expression level of green fluorescent protein(GFP) was the highest when the transfection agent was eliminated and then cultivated for 36 to 48 hr. The terminators(SV40 p(A), SV40 small T-antigen and human gastrin 3'UTR) of the expression vector system were each cloned with endostatin; thereafter, the expression levels of the endostatin and its mRNA were compared. When the expression levels of endostatin were compared 36 hr after transfection, the SV40 p(A) terminator showed the highest expression level of endostatin and its mRNA.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.102-109
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• 2010

Fructan has been found to accumulate in various tissues during periods when light levels increased carbon fixation where low temperatures reduced growth rates while photosynthesis continued. In this study, we have cloned 1-sucrose:sucrose fructosyl transferase(1-sst) and 1-fructan: fructan fructosyl transferase (1-fft, a key enzyme for the synthesis of fuctan) from Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.). The recombinant vector with 1-sst and 1-fft has been constructed under the control of 35S promoter of KJGV-B2 vector and transgenic plants obtained by Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404. PCR analysis carried out on the putative transgenic plants for amplification of the coding region of specific gene (1-sst, 1-fft), and HPT genes. Transgenic lines carrying of 1-sst and 1-fft were confirmed for integration into the rice genome using Southern blot hybridization and RT-PCR. The transgenic plants in $T_2$ generation were selected and expression pattern analysis revealed that 1-sst and 1-fft were stable. This analysis confirmed the presence of low-molecular-weight fructan in the seedling of the transgenic rices. Therefore, cold tolerance and carbohydrate metabolism will be possible to develop resistant plants using the transgenic rice.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.379-386
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• 1997

Recombinant plasmid, pBKH4, containing NPT II and P35S-BcHSP17.6 was constructed by ligation of Bum H I -digested pBKSl-l and BcHSP 17.6 (thermotolerance gene) 6om pBLH4. The tobacco leaf disc was cocultivated with transformed Agmbacterium tumefaciens bearing pBKH4 for 24 hours and transformed shoots were selected on MS-n/B medium containing $100\;{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ of kanamycin. Heat-killing temperature of Nicotima tabacum was $50^{\circ}$ for >15min, and transformed tobacco plants with BcHSP17.6 cDNA exhibited thermotolerance at the heat-killing temperature. The transgenic plants were analyzed by Southern blot hybridization with the probe of ${\alpha}^{_32}P$ labelled BcHSP17.6 cDNA. Transcription and expression level of BcHSP17.6 cDNA were also continued by Northern blot analysis and Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion assay. In this study, we suggest that the BcHSP17.6 cDNA introduced to tobacco plant is related to thenuoto-lerance and 17.6-kD LMW HSP acts as a protector from heat damage in plants.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.210-213
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• 2013

We herein describe a feline case of facial dermatitis whose histopathological features resembled to those of FHV-associated ulcerative dermatitis. A 3-year-old, intact male domestic short-haired cat was presented with 2-years history of pruritic dermatitis that initially appeared on periocular area and extended toward the entire face. The cat had ocular discharge and conjunctivitis from 2-month of age. Clinically, skin lesions were characterized as erythema, erosions and ulcers covered with crusts on the facial and perianal area. Histopathologically, the facial lesion was characterized as interface dermatitis with hydropic degeneration at the basal layer, and single cell necrosis of keratinocytes. In addition, the epidermal and dermal necrosis infiltrated with eosinophils, and intranuclear inclusion bodies in keratinocytes were also recognized. Moreover, feline herpesvirus-1 gene was detected by a PCR analysis using a swab obtained from the crusted lesions. Based upon these findings, the present case was considered as having FHV-associated ulcerative dermatitis. Therapy including oral acyclovir and topical recombinant feline interferon omega resulted in marked improvement of the skin and mucosal lesions.