• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.526-534
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• 2010

Genomes of clusters of related eukaryotes are now being sequenced at an increasing rate. In this paper, we developed an accurate, low-cost method for annotation of gene prediction and exon-intron structure. The gene prediction was adapted for delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate-synthetase (p5cs) gene from China wild-type of the halophytic Leymus chinensis (Trin.), naturally adapted to highly-alkali soils. Due to complex adaptive mechanisms in halophytes, more attentions are being paid on the regulatory elements of stress adaptation in halophytes. P5CS encodes delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate-synthetase, a key regulatory enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of proline, that has direct correlation with proline accumulation in vivo and positive relationship with stress tolerance. Using analysis of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PCR, and direct sequencing, 1076 base pairs (bp) of cDNA in length and 2396 bp of genomic DNA in length were obtained from direct sequencing results. Through gene prediction and exon-intron structure verification, the full-length of cDNA sequence was divided into eight parts, with seven parts of intron insertion. The average lengths of determinated coding regions and non-coding regions were 154.17 bp and 188.57 bp, respectively. Nearly all splice sites displayed GT as the donor sites at the 5' end of intron region, and 71.43% displayed AG as the acceptor sites at the 3' end of intron region. We conclude that this method is a cost-effective way for obtaining an experimentally verified genome annotation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.180-186
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• 2003

The full-length cDNA encoding the pre-protein growth hormone (sfGH) from spotted flounder (Verasper variegatus) was amplified by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) using degenerated oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved growth hormone sequences. It consists of 901 nucleotides in length, including the coding region of 609 nucleotides, 111 nucleotides of a 5' untranslated region, and 181 nucleotides of a 3' untranslated region. The conserved polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) lies 12 bases upstream from the poly (A) tail. The deduced amino acid sequence shows an open reading frame encoding a pre-protein of 203 amino acids and a putative signal peptide of 17 amino acids, suggesting that the mature hormone consists of 186 amino acids. The analyses of sfGH reveal some unique structural features. The repetitive sequences are located in the 5' untranslated region of sfGH cDNA and consist of tandem arrays of imperfect direct repeat monomers. Moreover, sfGH contains six Cys residues, as opposed to four or five in other GHs, and it is clearly distinguishable from olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) GH, which lacks a region corresponding to residues 175-188 in alignment positions. It has important implications from an evolutionary standpoint, suggesting possible divergence among flatfishes.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.239-246
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• 2003

We have examined the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) of Vibrio vulnificus KCTC 2959. ISRs were amplified by primers complementary to conserved regions of 16S and 23S rRNA genes. ISR amplicons were cloned and sequenced. Analysis of the ISR sequences showed that V. vulnificus KCTC 2959 contains five types of polymorphic ISRs. Size of ISRs ranged from 424 to 741 bp in length and the number of tRNA genes ranged from one to four. The ISRs were designated as ISR-E $(tRNA^{Glu}),\;ISR-IA\;(tRNA^{Ile}-tRNA^{Ala})$, ISR-EKV $(tRNA^{Glu}-tRNA^{Lys}-tRNA^{Val})$, ISR-IAV $(tRNA^{Ile}-tRNA^{Ala}-tRNA^{val})$ and ISR-EKAV $(tRNA^{Glu}-tRNA^{Lys}-tRNA^{Ala}-tRNA^{Val})$ based on their tRNA genes. Multiple alignment of representative sequences from different Vibrio species revealed several domains of high sequence variability. We used the sequences of variable domains to design species-specific primer for detection PCR. Specificity of the primers was examined using genomic DNA prepared from 18 different Vibrio species. The results showed that the PCR using primers designed in this study can be used to detect V. vulnificus from other Vibrio species.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2007

According to the Baltimore Scheme, viruses are classified into 6 main classes based on their replication and coding strategies. Except for some small DNA viruses, most viruses code for their own polymerases: DNA-dependent DNA, RNA-dependent RNA and RNA-dependent DNA polymerases, all of which contain 4 common motifs. We undertook a phylogenetic study to establish the relationship between the Baltimore Scheme and viral polymerases. Amino acid sequence data sets of viral polymerases were taken from NCBI GenBank, and a multiple alignment was performed with CLUSTAL X program. Phylogenetic trees of viral polymerases constructed from the distance matrices were generally consistent with Baltimore Scheme with some minor exceptions. Interestingly, negative RNA viruses (Class V) could be further divided into 2 subgroups with segmented and non-segmented genomes. Thus, Baltimore Scheme for viral taxonomy could be supported by phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of viral polymerases.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.171-174
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• 2012

THOC1/Hpr1 is one subunit of THO complex that is an evolutionally conserved assembly involved in the mRNP packaging and mRNA export during transcription elongation. In fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, an ortholog (spHpr1) of THOC1/Hpr1 was identified based on sequence alignment. A deletion mutant in a diploid strain was constructed by replacing one of spHpr1-coding region with a $kan^r$ gene using one-step gene disruption method. Tetrad analysis showed that the sphpr1 is essential for growth. Over-expression of sphpr1 from strong nmt1 promoter caused no defects of growth and mRNA export. However, repression of the sphpr1 expression resulted in growth inhibition accompanied by accumulation of poly$(A)^+$ RNA in the nucleus. These results suggest that spHpr1 is involved in mRNA export from the nucleus to cytoplasm.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.702-706
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• 1999

The genetic responses of aquaculturable seaweed Prophyra yezoensis tissue by acid shock have been compared using differential display technique. The tissue has been challenged in seawater containing 0.05% hydrogen chloride(pH 3.0) for 5 min, then rehabilitated in normal seawater for 10 min, 30 min, 60 min and 4 hrs, respectively. Total RNA was extracted by LiCl-guanidinium method. The cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcription with random hexamers and amplified by PCR with arbitrary primers. The genetic fragment disappeared by acid shock was selectively isolated from agarose gel and sequenced with a DNA auto sequencer. One of the acid-labile gene(605 bp) was identified as a dethiobiotin synthetase gene according to sequence alignment analysis by the NCBI BLAST search program.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.624-631
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• 2005

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, continues to be one of the main diseases to mankind. It is urgent to discover novel drug targets for appropriate antimicrobial agents against this human pathogen. The shikimate pathway is onsidered as an attractive target for the discovery of novel antibiotics for its essentiality in bacteria and absence in mammalian cells. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis aroE-encoded shikimate dehydrogenase was cloned, expressed and purified. Sequence alignment analysis shows that shikimate dehydrogenase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exhibit the pattern of G-X-(N/S)-V-(T/S)-X-PX-K, which is highly conserved within the shikimate dehydrogenase family. The recombinant shikimate dehydrogenase spectrum determined by CD spectroscopy showed that the percentages for $\alpha$-helix, $\beta$-sheet, $\beta$-turn, and random coil were 29.2%, 9.3%, 32.7%, and 28.8%, respectively. The enzymatic characterization demonstrates that it appears to be fully active at pH from 9.0 to 12, and temperature $63^{\circ}C$. The apparent Michaelis constant for shikimic acid and $NADP^+$ were calculated to be about $29.5\;{\mu}M$ and $63\;{\mu}M$. The recombinant shikimate dehydrogenase catalyzes the substrate in the presence of $NADP^+$ with an enzyme turnover number of $399\;s^{-1}$. Zymological studies suggest that the cloned shikimate dehydrogenase from M. tuberculosis has a pretty activity, and the work should help in the discovery of enzyme inhibitors and further of possible antimicrobial agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 2016

For comparison of tetracycline-resistant ($Tc^R$) genes, we obtained 21 and 14 $Tc^R$ Staphylococcus spp. from marine environment and human patient, respectively. Although all isolates from human were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, higher proportion of $Tc^R$ isolates (12 out of 14) from human were utilizing tet(M) gene compared to that of $Tc^R$ isolates (6 out of 21) from marine environment. Additionally, collaborated utilization of tet(M) and erm(A) in $Tc^R-Em^R$ S. aureus in human patient, but not in $Tc^R$ Staphylococcus spp. isolates from marine environment was also characterized. Based on the nucleotide sequence of transposon related to $Tc^R$ gene, we confirmed the origin of tet(M) gene in $Tc^R$ Staphylococci isolated from marine environments and human are derived from Tn916/1545-like and Tn5801 transposon, respectively. It is the first report showing the presence of Tn5801 in all $Tc^R$ S. aureus carrying tet(M) in human patient. Alignment of the fully sequenced tet(M) from marine environmental isolates was also agreed with the determined transposons by showing the genomic mosaic structure composed with three genomic parts from Tn916/1545 and unknown transposons. Genetic characteristics of these tet(M) in environmental isolates were similar to each other but different from those in isolates from human showing only tet(M) from Tn916/5801 type. It may imply the presence of less dramatic communication of antibiotic resistant genes between Staphylococci isolated from marine environment and human.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-195
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• 1997

Sequence comparison of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) from Korean children with gastroenteritis revealed significant genetic variation among them. cDNA clones were produced from the HuCVs collected from pediatric population during a period of 1987-1994. The application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers directed to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region within ORF1 of Norwalk virus (NV) showed that 13.7% of HuCVs yielded PCR products of similar size to the NV prototype, NV8FIIa/68/US, with exceptions of HuCV 185/87/Korea and HuCV 1115/90/Korea. Computer analyses showed that the PCR products had a continuous protein encoding frame on the positive strand, and contained GLPSG and YGDD amino acid motifs at the predicted distance from primers. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of HuCVs with previously published sequences for Snow Mountain agent (SMA), NV, and Sapporo/82/Japan indicated that these strains can be divided into four major genogroups. There were 10 (45%) SMA-like CVs, one (4.5%) NV-like HuCVs, two (9%) Sapporo-like HuCVs, and nine (41%) unidentified HuCVs. This fourth genogroup should be investigated further. HuCV 185/87/Korea and HuCV 1115/90/Korea, Sapporo-like CVs, were genetically distinct from previously characterized HuCVs and more closely related to known animal CVs. One of the animal CV-like strain, HuCV 185/87/Korea, showed nucleotide and amino acid homology of only 67% and 73% with the prototype Sapporo/82/Japan. Further characterization of animal and human CV genomes and studies of possible cross-transmission of CVs from animals to humans are likely to be beneficial in understanding the epidemiology of HuCVs.

• Bioinformatics and Biosystems
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2007

생물정보학은 컴퓨터를 이용하여 방대한 양의 생물학적 데이터를 처리하고 그 결과를 분석하는 학문으로서 IT의 고속성장과 맞물려 점차 그 활용도를 넓혀가고 있다. 특히 의학, 생명과학 연구에 사용되는 데이터는 그 종류도 다양하고 크기가 매우 큰 것이 일반적인데, 이의 처리를 위해서는 고속 네트워크가 바탕이 된 그리드-컴퓨팅(Grid-Computing) 기술 접목이 필연적이다. 고속 네트워크 기술의 발전은 슈퍼컴퓨터를 대체해 컴퓨터 풀 내에 분산된 시스템들을 하나로 묶을 수 있는 그리드-컴퓨팅 분야를 선도하고 있다. 최근 생물정보학 분야에서도 이처럼 발전된 고성능 분산 컴퓨팅 기술을 이용하여 데이터의 신속한 처리와 관리의 효율성을 증대시키고 있는 추세이다. 그리드-컴퓨팅 기술은 크게 데이터 가공을 위한 응용 프로그램 개발과 데이터 관리를 위한 데이터베이스 구축으로 구분 지을 수 있다. 전자에 해당하는 생물정보 연구용 프로그램들은 mpiBLAST, ClustalW-MPI와 같은 MSA서열정렬 프로그램들을 꼽을 수 있으며, BioSimGrid, Taverna와 같은 프로젝트는 그리드-데이터베이스 (Grid-Database)기술을 바탕으로 개발되었다. 본 고에서는 미지의 생명현상을 탐구하고 연구하기 위하여 현재까지 개발된 그리드-컴퓨팅 환경과 의생명과학 연구를 위한 응용 프로그램들, 그리고 그리드-데이터베이스 기술 등을 소개한다.