• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.98-108
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• 2015

Staphylococcus aureus is an important foodborne pathogen that causes diverse diseases ranging from minor infections to life-threatening conditions in humans and animals. To further understand its pathogenesis, the genome of the strain S. aureus FORC_001 was isolated from a contaminated food. Its genome consists of 2,886,017 bp double-stranded DNA with a GC content of 32.8%. It is predicted to contain 2,728 open reading frames, 57 tRNAs, and 6 rRNA operons, including 1 additional 5S rRNA gene. Comparative phylogenetic tree analysis of 40 complete S. aureus genome sequences using average nucleotide identity (ANI) revealed that strain FORC_001 belonged to Group I. The closest phylogenetic match was S. aureus MRSA252, according to a whole-genome ANI (99.87%), suggesting that they might share a common ancestor. Comparative genome analysis of FORC_001 and MRSA252 revealed two non-homologous regions: Regions I and II. The presence of various antibiotic resistance genes, including the SCCmec cluster in Region I of MRSA252, suggests that this strain might have acquired the SCCmec cluster to adapt to specific environments containing methicillin. Region II of both genomes contains prophage regions but their DNA sequence identity is very low, suggesting that the prophages might differ. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence of S. aureus isolated from a real foodborne outbreak in South Korea. This report would be helpful to extend our understanding about the genome, general characteristics, and virulence factors of S. aureus for further studies of pathogenesis, rapid detection, and epidemiological investigation in foodborne outbreak.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.199-205
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• 2012

Toxoplasmic encephalitis is caused by reactivation of bradyzoites to rapidly dividing tachyzoites of the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii in immunocompromised hosts. Diagnosis of this life-threatening disease is problematic, because it is difficult to discriminate between these 2 stages. Toxoplasma PCR assays using gDNA as a template have been unable to discriminate between an increase or decrease in SAG1 and BAG1 expression between the active tachyzoite stage and the latent bradyzoite stage. In the present study, real-time RT-PCR assay was used to detect the expression of bradyzoite (BAG1)- and tachyzoite-specific genes (SAG1) during bradyzoite/tachyzoite stage conversion in mice infected with T. gondii Tehran strain after dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DXM) administration. The conversion reaction was observed in the lungs and brain tissues of experimental mice, indicated by SAG1 expression at day 6 after DXM administration, and continued until day 14. Bradyzoites were also detected in both organs throughout the study; however, it decreased at day 14 significantly. It is suggested that during the reactivation period, bradyzoites not only escape from the cysts and reinvade neighboring cells as tachyzoites, but also converted to new bradyzoites. In summary, the real-time RT-PCR assay provided a reliable, fast, and quantitative way of detecting T. gondii reactivation in an animal model. Thus, this method may be useful for diagnosing stage conversion in clinical specimens of immunocompromised patients (HIV or transplant patients) for early identification of tachyzoite-bradyzoite stage conversion.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.225-234
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• 2011

Arabidopsis mutants with T-DNA insertion in seven calmodulin genes (CAM) were used to determine the specific role of CAM in the tolerance of plants to oxidative stress induced by paraquat and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) treatments. Arabidopsis calmodulin mutants (cam) were screened for seedling growth, seed germination, induced oxidative damage, and levels of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt metabolites. Only the cam5-4 and cam6-1 mutants exhibited an increased sensitivity to paraquat and $H_2O_2$ during seed germination and seedling growth. In response to treatments with $3{\mu}M$ paraquat and 1 mM $H_2O_2$, only the cam5-4, cam6-1 mutants showed significant changes in malonaldehyde (MDA) levels in root and shoot tissues, with highly increased levels of MDA. In terms of the GABA shunt metabolites, GABA was significantly elevated in root and shoot tissues in response to the paraquat treatments in comparison to alanine and glutamate, while the levels of all shunt metabolites increased in root tissue but not in the shoot tissue following the $H_2O_2$ treatments. GABA, alanine and glutamate levels were significantly increased in root and shoot of the cam1, cam4, cam5-4, and cam6-1 mutants in response to paraquat (0.5, 1 and $3{\mu}M$), while they were increased only in the root tissue of the cam1, cam4, cam5-4, and cam6-1 mutants in response to $H_2O_2$ (200 and $500{\mu}M$, 1 mM). These data show that the cam5-4 and cam6-1 mutants were sensitive to the induced oxidative stress treatments in terms of seed germination, seedling growth, and oxidative damage. The accumulation of GABA shunt metabolites as a consequence of the induced oxidative stress treatments (paraquat and $H_2O_2$ treatments) suggests that the GABA shunt pathway and the accumulation of GABA metabolites may contribute in antioxidant machinery associated with reactive oxygen species and in the acquisition of tolerance in response to induced oxidative stress in Arabidopsis seedlings.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.384-391
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• 2009

Previously, two events (H15 and B20) of transgenic pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) that enhanced resistance to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) by the introduction of CMV coat protein (CP) gene were constructed. Presently, a single copy number of the CP gene was revealed in H15 and B20 by Southern blot. To predict possible unintended effects due to transgene insertion in an endogenous gene, we carried out sequencing of the 5'-flanking region of the CP gene and a Blastbased search. The results revealed that insertion of the transgene into genes encoding putative proteins may occur in the H15 and B20 transgenic event. Mutiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneous detection and identification of transgenic pepper was conducted with a set of nine primers. Both transgenic event were differentiated from non-transgenic event by the presence of 267 bp and 430 bp PCR products indicative of CP gene specific primer pairs and primer pairs targeting the CP gene and 35S promoter. H15 and B20 uniquely possessed a 390 bp and 596 bp PCR product, respectively. The presence of a 1115 bp product corresponding to intrinsic pepper actin gene confirmed the use of pepper DNA as the PCR template. The primer set and PCR conditions used presently may allow the accurate and simple identification of CMV resistant transgenic pepper.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.207-215
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• 2004

It is well known that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis is under the negative feedback control of adrenal corticosteroids. Previous studies have suggested that glucocorticoids can regulate neuroendocrine cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) by modulating catecholaminergic transmission, a major excitatory modulator of the HPA axis at the hypothalamic level. But, the effects of corticosteroids on the expression of adrenoceptor subtypes are not fully understood. In this work, we examined mRNA levels of six adrenoceptor subtypes (${\alpha}_{1A}$, ${\alpha}_{1B}$, ${\alpha}_{2A}$, ${\alpha}_{2B}$, ${\beta}_1$ and ${\beta}_2$) in the PVN of normal and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats. Total RNA ($2.5{\mu}g$) was extracted from PVN micropunches of brain slices ($500{\mu}m$) and analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA were increased in the ADX rats relative to normal rats, indicating that the PVN had been liberated from the negative feedback of corticosteroids. Among the six adrenoceptor subtypes examined, mRNA levels for ${\alpha}_{1B}$- and ${\beta}_1$-adrenoceptors were increased, but the level for ${\beta}_2$-adrenoceptors was decreased in the ADX rats. The mRNA levels for the other three subtypes and for the general and neuronal specific housekeeping genes, glyceroaldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and N-enolase, respectively, were not changed in the ADX rats. In conclusion, the results indicate that adrenal steroids selectively regulate the gene expression of adrenoceptor subtypes in the PVN.

• 대한두경부종양학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Methylation of CpG islands in the promoter region of genes acts as a significant mechanism of epigenetic gene silencing in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). DNA methylation markers are particularly advantageous because DNA methylation is an early event in tumorigenesis, and the epigenetic modification, 5-methylcytosine, is a stable mark. In the present study, we assessed the genome-wide preliminary screening and were to identify novel methylation biomarker candidate in HNSCC. Genome-wide methylation analysis was performed on 10 HNSCC tumors using the Methylated DNA Isolation Assay (MeDIA) CpG island microarray. Validation was done using immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray of 135 independent HNSCC tumors. In addition, in vitro proliferation, migration/invasion assays, RT-PCR and immunoblotting were performed to elucidate molecular regulating mechanisms. Our preliminary validation using CpG microarray data set, immunohisto-chemistry for HNSCC tumor tissues and in vitro functional assays revealed that methylation of the Homeobox B5 (HOXB5) and H6 Family Homeobox 2 (HMX2) could be possible novel methylation biomarkers in HNSCC.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.129-137
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• 2009

$Ca^{2+}$은 다양한 자극과 빛, biotic, abiotic 스트레스, 호르몬 등의 반응에 대한 세포내 2차 신호전달물질로써 중요한 역할을 한다. $Ca^{2+}$의 반응자들은 특정 물질과 경로를 활성화함으로써 신호전달 기능을 한다고 알려져 있는 $Ca^{2+}$ 결합 단백질들이다. 이들 단백질 중, calmidulin (CaM)은 식물과 동물의 특정 단백질의 활성을 조절하는 것으로 잘 알려져 왔다. 특히, 식물은 다양한 CaM 유전자와 특징적인 protein kinase와 전사인자를 포함한 많은 종류의 CaM 관련 단백질들을 가지고 있다. 이로 인해서 식물은 주변의 여러 가지 신호등을 인지할 수 있을 뿐만 아니라 변화된 환경에 적응할 수 있는 것이다. 하지만, 대부분의 CaM이나 이들과 관련된 단백질들의 기능은 최근 활발히 연구되고 있지만 아직 많은 작용 기작이 연구의 대상이 되고 있다. 따라서 CaM의 기능을 좀 더 이해한다면 식물의 환경적 자극에 대한 반응과 식물의 성장과 발달에 있어서 CaM의 역할을 규명하는데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 본 논문은 $Ca^{2+}$-CaM의 신호전달 시스템과, CaM과 관련된 단백질들, 그리고 식물의 biotic, abiotic 스트레스에 대한 외부 자극의 반응에 있어서 CaM의 작용에 대해 기술하였다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.122-128
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• 2020

Candida albicans가 칸디다 혈증의 주요 원인 균으로 알려져 있지만, 최근에는 non-albicans Candida (NAC)에 의한 심각한 감염이 증가하고 있다. NAC 중에서 C. glabrata는 두 번째로 병원성을 나타내는 원인 균이지만 C. glabrata의 구조, 역학 등의 기본적인 연구는 거의 없는 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 다양한 유형의 임상 표본으로부터 분리된 총 102개의 C. glabrata균주로 multi-locus sequence typing (MLST)을 수행하였다. FKS, LEU2, NMT1, TRP1, UGP1 및 URA3을 포함한 6개의 하우스키핑 유전자를 증폭하여 염기서열을 분석하였다. 총 3,345개의 DNA 염기서열 중 49개의 가변 염기서열 부위가 발견되었으며, 그 결과 102개의 균주에서 총 12개의 상이한 서열 유형을 확인하였고, 알려지지 않은 서열 유형(USTs) 중 UST1이 가장 많이 나타났다. 이 연구의 결과는 국내 C. glabrata 항생제 처방에 도움이 될 것으로 사료되며, 한국에서 유행하는 C. glabrata에 대한 추가 연구를 위한 기본 역학자료로 사용될 것으로 기대한다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.121-125
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• 2004

E. coli에서 B. macerans 유래 cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase)의 활성형 생산에 GroEL/ES chaperone과의 공발현과 저온 배양의 공동작용 효과에 대해 조사하였다. 실험에 사용된 cgt와 groEL/ES 유전자를 발현하는 pTCGTl과 pGroll은 각각 T7 promoter와 Pzt-1 promoter에 의해 조절되고 이들을 E. coli에 도입시켰다. 대수증식기 초기(2 hr)와 대수증식기 중기(3 hr)에 tetrarycline 10 ng/ml 과 IPTG 1 mM을 첨가하여 각각의 유전자를 발현시켰다. CGTase활성과 specific artivity 측정 시 $37^{\circ}C$에서 pTCGTl 단독 발현 보다 $25^{\circ}C$에서 chaperone과 함께 발현시킨 경우 2배나 높은 활성이 측정됐으며, SDS-PACE 분석결과 $37^{\circ}C$에서 단독 발현 시킬경우 20% 정도 가용성 형태로 발현되던 것이 $25^{\circ}C$에서 chaperone과 공발현 시에는 거의 3.5배가 넘는 69%가 가용성으로 전환됨을 알 수 있었다. 이와 같이 분자 chaperone과 $25^{\circ}C$에서의 저온 배양은 E. coli에서 활성형질 가용성 CGTase의 생산 증가에 큰 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.716-722
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• 2006

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is physiologically important in regulating cellular homeostasis and apoptotic cell death, and its mutations are the cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). Mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2 has a pro-apoptotic function and has known to be associated with neurodegenerative disorders. To investigate the relationship between genes associated with apoptotic cell death, such as HtrA2 and SOD1, we utilized the pGEX expression system to develop a simple and rapid method for purifying wild-type and ALS-associated mutant SOD1 proteins in a suitable form for biochemical studies. We purified SOD1 and SOD1 (G93A) proteins to approximately 90% purity with relatively high yields (3 mg per liter of culture). Consistent with the result in mammalian cells, SOD1 (G93A) was more insoluble than wild-type SOD1 in E. coli, indicating that research on the aggregate formation of SOD1 may be possible using this pGEX expression system in E. coli. We investigated the HtrA2 serine protease activity on SOD1 to assess the relationship between two proteins. Not only wild-type SOD1 but also ALS-associated mutant SOD1 (G93A) were cleaved by HtrA2, resulting in the production of the 19 kDa and 21 kDa fragments that were specific for anti-SOD1 antibody. Using protein gel electrophoresis and immunoblot assay, we compared the relative molecular masses of thrombin-cleaved GST-SOD1 and HtrA2-cleaved SOD1 fragments and can predict that the HtrA2-cleavage sites within SOD1 are the peptide bonds between leucine 9-lysine 10 (L9-K10) and glutamine 23-lysine 24 (Q23-K24). Our study indicates that SOD1 is one of the substrate for HtrA2, suggesting that both HtrA2 and SOD1 may be important for modulating the HtrA2-SOD1-mediated apopotic cell death that is associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorder.