• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.467-478
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• 2021

In this study, we aimed to synthesize PAMAMG3 derivatives (PAMAMG3-KRRR and PAMAMG3-HKRRR), using KRRR peptides as a nuclear localization signal and introduced histidine residues into the KRRR-grafted PAMAMG3 for delivering a therapeutic, carcinoma cell-selective apoptosis gene, apoptin into human primary glioma (GBL-14) cells and human dermal fibroblasts. We examined their cytotoxicity and gene expression using luciferase activity and enhanced green fluorescent protein PAMAMG3 derivatives in both cell lines. We treated cells with PAMAMG3 derivative/apoptin complexes and investigated their intracellular distribution using confocal microscopy. The PAMAMG3-KRRR and PAMAMG3-HKRRR dendrimers were found to escape from endolysosomes into the cytosol. The JC-1 assay, glutathione levels, and Annexin V staining results showed that apoptin triggered cell death in GBL-14 cells. Overall, these findings indicated that the PAMAMG3-HKRRR/apoptin complex is a potential candidate for an effective nonviral gene delivery system for brain tumor therapy in vitro.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.345-350
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• 2009

We have isolated and characterized a new insect chicken type (c-type) lysozyme gene from the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. The full-length cDNA of Spodoptera lysozyme is cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR (RACE-PCR). The isolated cDNA consists of 1039 bp including the coding region for a 142-amino acid residue polypeptide, which included a signal peptide of 21-amino acid residue and a mature protein of 121-amino acid residue. The predicted molecular weight of mature lysozyme and its theoretical isoelectric point from amino acid composition is 13964.8 Da and 9.05, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of Spodoptera lysozyme gene shows the highest similarity (96.7%) to Spodoptera exigua lysozyme among other lepidopteran species. Amino acid sequence comparison with other the c-type lysozymes, Spodoptera lysozyme has the completely conserved $Glu^{32}$ and $Asp^{50}$ of the active site and eight Cys residues are completely conserved in the same position as that of other lepidopteran lysozymes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.295-295
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• 1994

The human ${\beta}$$_2$-adrenergic receptor (h${\beta}$$_2$AR) contains seven clusters of hydrophobic amino acids suggestive of membrane-spanning domains and its gene is intronless. The genomic gene encoding h${\beta}$$_2$AR has been isolated by polymerase chain reaction. To express h${\beta}$$_2$AR in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a modified h${\beta}$$_2$AR gene was fused to signal peptide sequence of Killer toxin gene from Kluyveromyces lactics. This fusion gene was expressed under the galactose-inducible GAL10 promoter. The ligand binding experiments showed that the functional h${\beta}$$_2$AR was expressed at a concentration three times as much as that found in Hamster lung.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.986-988
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• 2002

A plasmid expression vector of pEStxl encoding a mature form of the B chain of the Shiga toxin was constructed without a signal peptide under the control of an inducible n promoter. The encoded protein was purified to 90% by simple heat treatment, and then further purified to 95% by Phenyl-Sepharose and DEAE-Sepharose chromatographies, all in a single day. Accordingly, this expression system and heat treatment could facilitate the rapid purification of gram-scale amounts of the Shiga toxin B subunit from recombinant Escherichia coli cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.275-280
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• 2000

The inulin fructotransferse (depolymerizing) (IFTase, EC 2.4.1.93) gene of Arthrobacter sp. A-6 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The IFTase gene consisted of an ORF of 1.311 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 436 amino acids containing a signal peptide of 31 amino acids in the N-terminus. The molecular mass of the IFTase based on the nucleotide sequence was calculated to be 46.116 Da. The recombinant E. coli $DH5{\alpha}$ cells expressing the Arthrobacter sp. A-6 IFTase gene produced most of the IFTase intracelularly. In contrast, the recombinant B. subtilis DB 104 carrying the IFTas gene on a B. subtilis-E. Coli expression vector secreted the IFTase into the culture fluid efficiently.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.139-144
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• 2003

A chitinase cDNA named CHT1 was cloned from the hard tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and the enzymatic properties of its recombinant proteins were characterized. The CHT1 cDNA encodes 930 amino-acid (aa) residues including a 22 aa putative signal peptide, with the calculated molecular mass of the putative mature protein 104 kDa. The E coli-expressed rCHT1 exhibited weak chitinolytic activity against $4MU-(GlcNAc)_3$. The rCHT1 protein with higher activity was obtained using recombinant Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV), which expresses rCHT1 under polyhedrin promoter. These findings suggest that the rCHT1 expressed in baculovirus-mediated Sf 9 cells has a high activity than E coli-expressed rCHT1.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.267-277
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• 2008

Insects mount a robust innate immune response against a wide array of microbial pathogens. The hallmark of the Drosophila humoral immune response is the rapid production of anti-microbial peptides in the fat body and their release into the circulation. Two recognition and signaling cascades regulate expression of these antimicrobial peptide genes. The Toll pathway is activated by fungal and many Gram-positive bacterial infections, whereas the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway responds to Gram-negative bacteria. Recent work has shown that the intensity and duration of the Drosophila immune response is tightly regulated. As in mammals, hyperactivated immune responses are detrimental, and the proper down-modulation of immunity is critical for protective immunity and health. In order to keep the immune response properly modulated, the Toll and IMD pathways are controlled at multiple levels by a series of negative regulators. In this review, we focus on recent advances identifying and characterizing the negative regulators of these pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.190-195
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• 2001

The cuclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) gene of Bacillus macerans was subcloned at the downstream of yeast ADH1 promoter, and then the resulting plasmid pVT-CGTM(9.15 kb) was introduced into the yeast host strain, Saccharomyces cerevisias 2805. The transformed yeast, S. cerevisiae 2805/pVT-CGTM, showed the starch-hydrolyzing activity on the starch-azure plate. The optimal conditions for the CGTase expression were found to be 2% dextrose, initial pH5.5, 3$0^{\circ}C$, and 48hr cultivation. Under this condition, the extracellular CGTase activity reached at 0.53 U/mL, whereas the intracellular activity was about 0.03U/mL. This result indicates that the signal peptide of Bacillus CGTase functioned well in S. cerevisiae.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.442-448
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• 2003

Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) regulating color change of fish skin was identified from brain cDNA library of Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) during the analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs). Olive flounder MCH gene consisted of 598 nucleotides encoding 150 amino acids. Olive flounder MCH protein revealed to contain signal peptide of 19 amino acid residues, pro-MCH of 131 amino acids being processed to biologically active and mature form of hormone with 25 amino acid residues at the carboxyl terminus. A comparative structural analysis revealed that Olive flounder MCH precursor had low sequence identity with other fish species and mammalian counterparts, while the amino acid sequences of mature hormone had a relatively high identity and more conserved. RT-PCR analysis revealed that olive flounder MCH precersor gene was expressed spectically only in the brain and not in other tissues.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.128-133
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• 2004

The secretion capacity of two E. coli strains (JM109 and AF1000) was evaluated through the expression of two human proinsulin fusion proteins using the translocation signal sequence from Staphylococcal protein A (SpA). Although a 7 to 11-fold difference in the expression levels was attained by the use of different promoters (SpA and malK promoters) and copy-number vectors (700 and 50 copies per cell), the maximum translocation rates for all the systems were around 140,000 amino acids $cell^{-1} min^{-1}$. Moreover, the secretion capacity was found to be independent of the size of the exiting peptide and its translational rate.