• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1007-1014
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• 2015

Plectasin, the first defensin extracted from a fungus (the saprophytic ascomycete Pseudoplectania nigrella), is attractive as a prospective antimicrobial agent. The purpose of this study was to establish a bacterium-based production system and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the resulting plectasin. A gene encoding plectasin, with the codon preference of Escherichia coli, was optimized based on its amino acid sequence, synthesized using genesplicing with overlap extension PCR, and inserted into the expression vector pGEX-4T-1. The fusion protein was expressed in the soluble fraction of E. coli and purified using glutathione Stransferase affinity chromatography. Plectasin was cleaved from the fusion protein with thrombin and purified by ultrafiltration. The purified plectasin showed strong, concentrationdependent antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially penicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. This antimicrobial activity was equal to chemically synthesized plectasin and was maintained over a wide range of pH and temperatures. This soluble recombinant expression system in E. coli is effective for producing plectasin at a relatively lower cost, and higher purity and efficiency than prior systems, and might provide a foundation for developing a large-scale production system. Overall, plectasin shows potential as a novel, high-performance, and safe antibiotic for the treatment of refractory diseases caused by drug-resistant bacterial strains.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.408-415
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• 2004

The expression of the Paenibacillus sp. A11 cyclodextrinase (CDase) gene using the pUC 18 vector in Escherichia coli JM 109 resulted in the formation of an insoluble CDase protein in the cell debris in addition to a soluble CDase protein in the cytoplasm. Unlike the expression in Paenibacillus sp. A11, CDase was primarily observed in cytoplasm. However, by adding 0.5 M sorbitol as an osmolyte, the formation of insoluble CDase was prevented while a three-fold increase in cytoplasmic CDase activity was achieved after a 24 h-induction. The recombinant CDase protein was purified to approximately 14-fold with a 31% recovery to a specific activity of 141 units/mg protein by 40-60% ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Toyopearl 650 M, and Phenyl Sepharose CL-4B chromatography. It was homogeneous by non-denaturing and SDS-PAGE. The enzyme was a single polypeptide with a molecular weight of 80 kDa, as determined by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. It showed the highest activity at pH 7.0 and $40^{\circ}C$. The catalytic efficiency ($k_{cat}/K_m$) values for $\alpha$-, $\beta$-, and $\gamma$-CD were $3.0{\times}10^5$, $8.8{\times}10^5$, and $5.5{\times}10^5\;M^{-1}\;min^{-1}$, respectively. The enzyme hydrolyzed CDs and linear maltooligosaccharides to yield maltose and glucose with less amounts of maltotriose and maltotetraose. The rates of hydrolysis for polysaccharides, soluble starch, and pullulan were very low. The cloned CDase was strongly inactivated by N-bromosuccinimide and diethylpyrocarbonate, but activated by dithiothreitol. A comparison of the biochemical properties of the CDases from Paenibacillus sp. A11 and E. coli transformant (pJK 555) indicates that they were almost identical.

• Proceedings of the KACD Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.545-545
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• 2003

Chitosan is applied as a dressing for oral mucous wound and a tampon following radical treatment of maxillary sinus. Furthermore, it is being investigated as an absorbing membrane for endodontic and periodontic surgeries. A few studies have reported osteoconduction and osteogenesia at the site of chitosan implant in vivo. However, compared with soft tissue healing processes, the mechanisms concerning effects of chitosan for biological mineralization have not yet been resoil In the present study, we studied the gene expression pattern using cDNA microarray and RT-PCR analyses in hard tissue forming osteoblasts cultured with water-soluble and low molecular weight chitooligosaccharide. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that 16 genes were expressed at 〉1.5-fold higher signal ratio levels in the experimental group compared with the control group after 3 days. RT-PCR analysis showed that chitosan oligomer induced an increase in the expression of two genes, CD56 antigen and tissue-type plasminogen activator. Furthermore, the expression of mRNAs for BMP-2 was almost identical in the experimental and control groups after 3 days of culture, but slightly increased after 7 days of culture with chitosan oligomer. These results suggest that a super-low concentration of chitooligosaccharide could modulate the activity of osteoblastic cells through mRNA levels and that the genes concerning cell proliferation and differentiation can be controlled by water-soluble chitosan.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.86-86
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• 2001

Based on the potential inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as anti-inflammatory or cancer chemopreventive agents, we have evaluated the active principles of COX-2 inhibition from natural products. The methanol extract of the cortex of Eugenia caryoplyllata (Myrtaceae) showed the potent inhibition of prostaglandin E$_2$(PGE$_2$) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells (98.3% inhibition at the test concentration of 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) Further, hexane-soluble layer was the most active partition compared to ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water -soluble parts. By bioassay-guided fractionation of hexane-soluble layer, eugenol was isolated and exhibited a significant suppression of PGE$_2$ production (IC$\_$50/=0.06$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$). In addition, eugenol suppressed the COX-2 gene expression in LPS-stimulated mouse macrop-hage cells. Therfore, eugenol might be a plausible lead candidate for further developing the COX-2 inhibitor as an anti-inflammatory or cancer chemopreventive agent.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.73-82
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• 2002

The committing step in Met and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) synthesis is catalyzed by cystathionine ${\gamma}$ -synthase (CGS). Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing CGS under control of 35S promoter show increased soluble Met and its metabolite S-methylmethionine, but only at specific stages of development. CGS-overexpressing seedlings are resistant to ethionine. Similar results were obtained with transgenic potato plants overexpressing Arabidopsis CGS. Several of the transgenic lines show silencing of CGS resulting in deformed p]ants with a reduced capacity for reproductive growth similar as transgenic plants by antisense RNA (CGS[-]). Exogenous feeding of Met to the CGS[-] and CGS[+] silenced plants partially restores their growth. Similar morphological deformities are observed in plants cosuppressed for SAM synthetase, even though such plants accumulate 250 fold more soluble Met than wild type and they overexpress CGS. The results suggest that the abnormalities associated with CGS and SAM synthetase silencing are due in part to a reduced ability to produce SAM, and that SAM may be a regulator of CGS expression.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 2019

Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae), which is a well-known food seasoning, has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and anorexia in Korea, China and Japan. Methanol extract from the fruit of P. nigrum was successively partitioned as n-hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions. Among those fractions the ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging activity, and piperine was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction. To know the antioxidant activity of piperine, we tested the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase together with oxidative stress tolerance and intracellular ROS level in Caenorhabditis elegans. To investigate whether piperine-mediated increased stress tolerance was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we quantified SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain including CF1553. Consequently, piperine enhanced SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, and reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, piperine-treated CF1553 worms exhibited significantly higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2023

Ethyl acetate (EA) soluble fraction of the Berberis amurensis (Berberidaceae) methanol extract showed the potent DPPH radical scavenging activity through Caenorhabditis elegans model system. The EA fraction was measured for the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and oxidative stress tolerance by using C. elegans along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. In addition, SOD-3 expression was conducted using a transgenic strain (CF1553) to confirm that the regulation of the stress response gene is responsible for the increased stress tolerance of C. elegans treated by the EA fraction. As a result, the EA soluble fraction of B. amurensis increased SOD and catalase activity, and decreased ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the EA fraction-treated CF1553 worm showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity than the control worm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.553-559
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• 1998

cDNA of human thrombopoietin (hTPO) amplified by polymerase chain reaction from a cDNA library of human fetal liver was cloned. EPO-like domains ($hTPO_{153} \;or\; hTPO_{l63})\; of\; hTPO(hTPO_{332}$) were expressed in Escherichin coli using several kinds of expression systems, such as ompA secretion, thioredoxin fusion, and the $P_L$ and T7 expression systems. To obtain $hTPO_{153}$ in soluble form, $hTPO_{153}$ cDNA was fused in-frame behind the gene encoding ompA signal sequence and thioredoxin protein. When fused with either of the genes, $hTPO_{153}$ was not expressed to the detectable level. However, a high level expression of the EPO-like domain of hTPO was obtained using the PL and T7 expression system. $hTPO_{153} \;or\; hTPO_{l63} cDNA were subcloned into the pLex and pET-28a(＋) vectors under the control of the inducible$ P_L\;T_7$ promoter, respectively. Proteins expressed using pl.ex vector and pET-28a(＋) detected in insoluble forms with an expression level of about 14% and 9% of total cellular proteins, respectively, and the level of expression was rapidly diminished in 2 h after the maximum level of expression was reached.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.178-181
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• 2000

In order to develop the novel gene expression system, we introduced new control elements which could influence the foreign gene expression in animal cells. When the foreign genes are introduced into the genome of higher eukaryotic cells, the expressions from these integrated genes are often low and can vary greatly depending on the positions of the integration sites due to the complex nature of the chromatin structures (1). First we screened the various DNA sequence elements which can function as an insulator of gene expression from these position effects and can cooperate with the SV40 enhancer/promoter. Among the several DNA elements from the various sources, we identified the particular DNA element which confers the increased frequency of the positive colonies, assayed by the reporter gene from stable selections indicating significantly reduced position effects. This element also showed the several fold-increased expression level as well as the copy-number dependent expression with host cell specificity. Second we modified the transcription termination element where we introduced the specific terminator in combination with SV40 polyA signal. This modified terminator showed the increased efficiency and the level of the gene expression. By combining these two elements, we made the animal cell expression system and tested successfully for the recombinant protein productions of TGF ${\beta}$-soluble receptor, Antithrombin III, and single chain Pro-Urokinase. [Supported by grants from MOCIE]

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.227-232
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• 2021

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundant in tumor microenvironments and interact with cancer cells to promote tumor proliferation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Cathepsin D (CTSD) is a soluble lysosomal aspartic endopeptidase involved in tumor proliferation and angiogenesis. In this preliminary study, we observed CTSD expression in OSCC and CAFs, postulating that CTSD might act as a bridge between OSCC and CAFs. Methods: Human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs), OSCC, and immortalized human normal oral fibroblasts (hTERT-hNOFs) were used in this study. Additionally, we used hTERT-hNOFs transfected with an empty vector, WT (wild-type)-YAP (Yes-associated protein), and YAPS127A (YAP serine 127 to alanine). YAP127A hTERT-hNOFs activated fibroblasts similar to CAFs. To identify CTSD expression between OSCC and CAFs, conditioned medium (CM) was collected from each cell. Protein expression of CTSD was identified by western blotting. Results: To identify the expression of CTSD in fibroblasts stimulated by OSCC, we treated fibroblasts with CM from HEK and OSCC. Results indicated that hTERT-hNOFs with OSCC CM showed a weakly increased expression of CTSD compared to stimulation by HEK CM. This indicates that CAFs, YAPS127 hTRET-hNOFs, overexpress CTSD protein. HEK cells showed no CTSD expression, regardless of treatment with fibroblast CM, whereas OSCC highly expressed CTSD proteins compared with the CTSD expression in HEK cells. We also found that CTSD expression was unaffected by changes in transforming growth factor-β levels. Conclusion: This study proposes that CTSD might have potential as an interacting executor between OSCC and CAFs. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of CTSD in tumor and stromal cells.