• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

We have characterized full-length cDNA encoding Gall-6-tox protein, which was cloned from the fat body of the immunized Galleria mellonella larvae. The cloned cDNA of Gall-6-tox consists of 1301 nucleotides and contained an open reading frame of 891 nucleotides corresponding to a protein of 296 residues that includes a putative 16-residue signal sequence and a 280-residue mature peptide with a calculated mass of 30,707.73 Da. The deduced mature peptide contains conserved tandem repeats of six cysteine-stabilized alpha beta ($Cs{\alpha}{\beta}$) motifs, which was detected in scorpion toxins and insect defensins. In the sequence homology search, mature Gall-6-tox showed 34% and 28% amino acid sequence homology with Bomb-6-tox from Bombyx mori and Spod-11-tox from Spodoptera frugiperda, respectively. Gall-6-tox orthologs were only found in Lepidopteran species, indicating that this new immune-related gene family is specific to this insect order. RT-PCR analysis revealed that Gall-6-tox was expressed primarily in the larval fat bodies, hemocytes, and midgut against invading bacteria into hemocoel. Moreover, the expression time course of Gall-6-tox was examined up to 24 h in the fat bodies and midgut after injection of E. coli. Altogether, these results suggest that Gall-6-tox is derived from defensins and Gall-6-tox may play a critical role in Lepidoptera immune system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1175-1182
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• 2021

We investigated the effect of bovine lactoferricin (Lfcin-B), a peptide derived from bovine lactoferrin, on activation of intestinal epithelial cells in IEC-6 intestinal cell, and protection against in vivo rotavirus (RV) infection. Treatment with Lfcin-B significantly enhanced the growth of IEC-6 cells and increased their capacity for attachment and spreading in culture plates. Also, Lfcin-B synergistically augmented the binding of IEC-6 cells to laminin, a component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In the analysis of the intracellular mechanism related to Lfcin-B-induced activation of IEC-6 cells, this peptide upregulated tyrosine-dependent phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin, which are intracellular proteins associated with cell adhesion, spreading, and signal transduction during cell activation. An experiment using synthetic peptides with various sequences of amino acids revealed that a sequence of 9 amino acids (FKCRRWQWR) corresponding to 17-25 of the N-terminus of Lfcin-B is responsible for the epithelial cell activation. In an in vivo experiment, treatment with Lfcin-B one day before RV infection effectively prevented RV-induced diarrhea and significantly reduced RV titers in the bowels of infected mice. These results suggest that Lfcin-B plays meaningful roles in the maintenance and repair of intestinal mucosal tissues, as well as in protecting against intestinal infection by RV. Collectively, Lfcin-B is a promising candidate with potential applications in drugs or functional foods beneficial for intestinal health and mucosal immunity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.457-467
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• 2024

Nanobodies derived from camelids and sharks offer unique advantages in therapeutic applications due to their ability to bind to epitopes that were previously inaccessible. Traditional methods of nanobody development face challenges such as ethical concerns and antigen toxicity. Our study presents a synthetic, phage-displayed nanobody library using trinucleotide-directed mutagenesis technology, which allows precise amino acid composition in complementarity-determining regions (CDRs), with a focus on CDR3 diversity. This approach avoids common problems such as frameshift mutations and stop codon insertions associated with other synthetic antibody library construction methods. By analyzing FDA-approved nanobodies and Protein Data Bank sequences, we designed sub-libraries with different CDR3 lengths and introduced amino acid substitutions to improve solubility. The validation of our library through the successful isolation of nanobodies against targets such as PD-1, ATXN1 and STAT3 demonstrates a versatile and ethical platform for the development of high specificity and affinity nanobodies and represents a significant advance in biotechnology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.353.2-353.2
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• 2016

We studied electrochemical detection of Botulinum neurotoxin, Vaccinia virus, and Streptococcus Pneumoniae based on nanogap device. Target bio substances were employed as representative targets of protein, virus, and bacteria, respectively. Redox current generated by ferri/ferrocyanide as an electroactive probe was enhanced according to gap distance which was controlled by surface-catalyzed chemical deposition. We found that enhanced electrochemical signal leads more sensitive signal changes according to selective interaction of target and its complementary elements on the electrode or gap area. In case of Botulinum neurotoxin, the redox signal showed a time-dependent increase due to cleavage of the immobilized peptide which blocked redox cycling. Redox cycling was also hindered by Vaccinia virus and Streptococcus Pneumoniae which were selectively immobilized in the gap area.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1527-1534
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• 2010

The conventional peptide modification process of guanidination, in which the amino groups of lysine residues are converted to guanidino groups using O-methylisourea to create more basic homoarginine residues, is often used to improve the signal intensity of lysine-containing peptides in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Here, we used three different protease enzymes (trypsin, Lys-C, and Glu-C) to evaluate the effects of guanidination on the MS signals of two enzymatically digested proteins. Horse heart myoglobin and bovine serum albumin were guanidinated either before or after digestion with trypsin, Lys-C, or Glu-C. The resulting peptides were subjected to MALDI-MS, and signal intensities and sequence coverage were systematically evaluated for each digest. Guanidination prior to Glu-C digestion improved sequence coverage for both proteins. For myoglobin, guanidination before enzymatic digestion with trypsin or Lys-C also enhanced sequence coverage, but guanidination after enzymatic digestion enhanced sequence coverage only with Lys-C. For albumin, guanidination either before or after Glu-C digestion increased sequence coverage, whereas pre- or post-digestion guanidination decreased sequence coverage with trypsin and Lys-C. The amino acid composition of a protein appears to be the major factor determining whether guanidination will enhance its MALDI-MS sequence coverage.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.370-375
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• 2016

Two xylanase genes were cloned into Escherichia coli from Bacillus sp. YB-1401 and B. amyloliquefaciens YB-1402, which had been isolated as mannanase producer from home-made doenjang, respectively, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Both xylanase genes consisted of 642 nucleotides, encoding polypeptides of 213 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequences of the YB-1401 and YB-1402 xylanase, designated Xyn1401 and Xyn1402, differed from each other by single amino acid residue, Asn for Xyn1401 and Lys for Xyn1402, corresponding to amino acid position of 127. Their amino acid sequences were highly homologous to those of xylanases belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 11. The 28 amino acid stretch in the N-terminus of both enzymes was predicted as signal peptide by SignalP4.1 server. Both xylanases were localized at the level of 91−94% in culture filtrate of the recombinant E. coli cells, suggesting they were secreted efficiently in E. coli cells. The optimal reaction conditions were 50℃ and pH 6.0 for Xyn1401, and 55℃ and pH 6.5 for Xyn1402, respectively, indicating one amino acid difference from each other affected pH and temperature profiles of their activities. In addition, their thermostabilities were somewhat different from each other.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2017

A gene coding for the xylanase predicted from the partial genomic sequence of Paenibacillus woosongensis was cloned by PCR amplification and sequenced completely. This xylanase gene, designated xyn11B, consisted of 1,071 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 356 amino acid residues. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, Xyn11B was identified to be a modular enzyme, including a single carbohydrate-binding module besides the catalytic domain, and was highly homologous to xylanases belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 11. The SignalP4.1 server predicted a stretch of 26 residues in the N-terminus to be the signal peptide. Using DEAE-Sepharose and Phenyl-Sepharose column chromatography, Xyn11B was partially purified from the cell-free extract of recombinant Escherichia coli carrying a copy of the P. woosongensis xyn11B gene. The partially purified Xyn11B protein showed maximal activity at $50^{\circ}C$ and pH 6.5. The enzyme was more active on arabinoxylan than on oat spelt xylan and birchwood xylan, whereas it did not exhibit activity towards carboxymethylcellulose, mannan, and para-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-xylopyranoside. The activity of Xyn11B was slightly increased by $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$, but was significantly inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, $Fe^{3+}$, and $Mn^{2+}$, and completely inhibited by SDS.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.336-343
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• 2016

A mannanase gene was cloned into Escherichia coli from Cellulosimicrobium sp. YB-43, which had been found to produce two kinds of mannanase, and sequenced completely. This mannanase gene, designated manB, consisted of 1,284 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 427 amino acid residues. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, the ManB was identified to be a modular enzyme including two carbohydrate binding domains besides the catalytic domain, which was highly homologous to mannanases belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 5. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of ManB, purified from a cell-free extract of the recombinant E. coli carrying a Cellulosimicrobium sp. YB-43 manB gene, has been determined as QGASAASDG, which was correctly corresponding to signal peptide predicted by SignalP4.1 server for Gram-negative bacteria. The purified ManB had a pH optimum for its activity at pH 6.5~7.0 and a temperature optimum at $55^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was active on locust bean gum (LBG), konjac and guar gum, while it did not exhibit activity towards carboxymethylcellulose, xylan, starch, and para-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-mannopyranoside. The activity of enzyme was inhibited very slightly by $Mg^{2+}$, $K^+$, and $Na^+$, and significantly inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, and SDS. The enzyme could hydrolyze mannooligosaccharides larger than mannobiose, which was the most predominant product resulting from the ManB hydrolysis for mannooligosaccharides and LBG.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.158-166
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• 2020

A gene coding for the xylanase was cloned from Paenibacillus woosongensis, followed by determination of its complete nucleotide sequence. This xylanase gene, designated as xyn10A, consists of 1,446 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 481 amino acid residues. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, Xyn10A was identified to be a modular enzyme composed of a catalytic domain highly homologous to the glycosyl hydrolase family 10 xylanase and a putative carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) in the C-terminus. By using DEAE-sepharose and phenyl-sepharose column chromatography, Xyn10A was purified from the cellfree extract of recombinant Escherichia coli carrying a P. woosongensis xyn10A gene. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified Xyn10A was identified to exactly match the sequence immediately following the signal peptide predicted by the Signal5.0 server. The purified Xyn10A was a truncated protein of 33 kDa, suggesting the deletion of CBM in the C-terminus by intracellular hydrolysis. The purified enzyme had an optimum pH and temperature of 6.0 and 55-60℃, respectively, with the kinetic parameters V_max and K_m of 298.8 U/mg and 2.47 mg/ml, respectively, for oat spelt xylan. The enzyme was more active on arabinoxylan than on oat spelt xylan and birchood xylan with low activity for p-nitrophenyl-β-xylopyranoside. Xylanase activity was significantly inhibited by 5 mM Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, and SDS, and was noticeably enhanced by K⁺, Ni²⁺, and Ca²⁺. The enzyme could hydrolyze xylooligosaccharides larger than xylobiose. The predominant products resulting from xylooligosaccharide hydrolysis were xylobiose and xylose.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.109-115
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• 2022

Vitellogenesis is the process by which yolk accumulates in developing oocytes. The initiation of vitellogenesis represents an important control point in oogenesis. When females of the model insect Drosophila melanogaster molt to become adults, their ovaries lack mature vitellogenic oocytes, only producing them after reproductive maturation. After maturation, vitellogenesis stops until a mating signal re-activates it. Juvenile hormone (JH) from the endocrine organ known as the corpora allata (CA) is the major insect gonadotropin that stimulates vitellogenesis, and the seminal protein sex peptide (SP) has long been implicated as a mating signal that stimulates JH biosynthesis. In this review, we discuss our new findings that explain how the nervous system gates JH biosynthesis and vitellogenesis associated with reproductive maturation and the SP-induced post-mating response. Mated females exhibit diurnal rhythmicity in oogenesis. A subset of brain circadian pacemaker neurons produce Allatostatin C (AstC) to generate a circadian oogenesis rhythm by indirectly regulating JH and vitellogenesis through the brain insulin-producing cells. We also discuss genetic evidence that supports this model and future research directions.