• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.234-241
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• 2008

Agrobacterum tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) is becoming an effective system as an insertional mutagenesis tool in filamentous fungi. We developed and optimized ATMT for two Colletotrichum species, C. falcatum and C. acutatum, which are the causal agents of sugarcane red rot and pepper anthracnose, respectively. A. tumefaciens strain SK1044, carrying a hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph) and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, was used to transform the conidia of these two Colletotrichum species. Transformation efficiency was correlated with co-cultivation time and bacterial cell concentration and was higher in C. falcatum than in C. acutatum. Southern blot analysis indicated that about 65% of the transformants had a single copy of the T-DNA in both C. falcatum and C. acutatum and that T-DNA integrated randomly in both fungal genomes. T-DNA insertions were identified in transformants through thermal asymmetrical interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR) followed by sequencing. Our results suggested that ATMT can be used as a molecular tool to identify and characterize pathogenicity-related genes in these two economically important Colletotrichum species.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.356-361
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• 1991

- To investigate the possibility of genetic development for a multi-purpose strain of Bacillus subtilis YBL-7 against Fusat-iurn solani causing root rot of many impotant corps, the plasmid pGU66 inserting urease gene of Bacillus pasteurii had been introduced into Bacillus subtilis YBL-7 by PEG-induced protoplast (PIP) transformation system. Protoplasts of B. subtilis YBL-7 were prepared by treating the cells with lysozyme (200 $\mu g$/ml) in hypertonic buffer (SMMP). The highest transformation frequency was achieved when cells of the strain with lysozyme at $42^{\circ}C$ for 90 minutes. Optimal transformation was obtained using polyethylene glycol (MW 4000) at final concentration of 30% (V/V). The transformation frequency was increased proportionally to 1.2 $\mu g$ of plasmid DNA. At best condition, the transformation frequency (transformants/ regenerants/$\mu g$ of DNA) for pGU66 was appoximately $4 \times 10^{-3}$. Also, the urease gene was strongly expressed in the transformants of B. subtilis YBL-7 and maintained steadily. The antifungal ability of transformant was very similar to that of B. ssubtilis YBL-7.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1597-1606
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• 2020

Transcription factor engineering to regulate multiple genes has shown promise in the field of microalgae genetic engineering. Here, we report the first use of transcription factor engineering in Chlorella sp. HS2, thought to have potential for producing biofuels and bioproducts. We identified seven endogenous bZIP transcription factors in Chlorella sp. HS2 and named them HSbZIP1 through HSbZIP7. We overexpressed HSbZIP1, a C-type bZIP transcription factor, in Chlorella sp. HS2 with the goal of enhancing lipid production. Phenotype screening under heterotrophic conditions showed that all transformants exhibited increased fatty acid production. In particular, HSbZIP1 37 and 58 showed fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yields of 859 and 1,052 mg/l, respectively, at day 10 of growth under heterotrophic conditions, and these yields were 74% and 113% higher, respectively, than that of WT. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the improved phenotypes, we identified candidate HSbZIP1-regulated genes via transcription factor binding site analysis. We then selected three genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and investigated mRNA expression levels of the genes by qRT-PCR. The result revealed that the possible HSbZIP1-regulated genes involved in fatty acid synthesis were upregulated in the HSbZIP1 transformants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that HSbZIP1 can be utilized to improve lipid production in Chlorella sp. HS2 under heterotrophic conditions.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2001

E. coli transformants EC3, EC4. and EC6. harboring citron oil degrading pathway genes, were co-cultured in M9 media with citron oil as a sole carbon source at 28$^{\circ}C$. Each co-culture(EC3+EC4, EC3+EC6, EC4+EC6 and EC3+EC4+EC6) showed three to four times higher cell growth than each transformant single culture. Microbial conversion products from the co-cultures were determined by GC-MS. Linalool. 4-terpineol and ${\alpha}$-terpineol were the major common products from co-cultures. Various minor products also were detected and important in flavor characteristics of cultures.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.687-690
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• 1999

Bacillus stearothermophilus No. 236 isolated from the soil is a strong xylan degrader producing all the xylanolytic enzymes. However, the strain was discovered to be highly intractable to its transformation. In the present study, we have developed a reliable method for transformation of B. stearothermophilus No. 236 by a systematic examination of several factors which might have an influence on the efficiency of electrotransformation. Notably, we found that the most critical factor influencing the transformation efficiency (TE) was the incubation temperature after pulsing, with its optimum incubation of $37^{\circ}C.\; At\; 50^{\circ}C$, the optimum growth temperature of the B. stearothermophilus strain, the transformants could not be obtained at a recognizable level. The combination of field strength of 7.5 kV/cm along with pulse duration of 10 msec (resistance of $400{\Omega}\; and\; capacitance\; of\; 25{\mu}F$) was shown to be the best electrical parameters at the incubation temperature of $37^{\circ}$. A higher TE was obtained when the cells were harvested at an early-exponential phase. Twenty percent of PEG-8000 in a suspension buffer and an addition of 0.1% glycine in the growth medium resulted in about 4-fold and 3-fold increases in TE, respectively. We also found that the plasmid DNA which had been cycled through the host B. stearothermophilus cells enhanced TE by one order of magnitude higher. Under the presently described conditions, $2.5{\times}10^{5} transformants per ${\mu}g$ DNA was attained.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.147-149
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• 2007

White-rot fungi which degrade lignin can also degrade diverse recalcitrant compounds such as polymeric dyes, explosives, pesticides, and endocrine disrupting chemicals. Lignin degrading enzymes are involved in the degradation reactions, and introduction of foreign genes into a white-rot fungus is required in order to increase the degrading capacity. Genetic transformation experiment has been carried out in Irpex lacteus and Phlebia tremellosa to an antibiotic resistance. The transformation yields were 50-70 transformants/${\mu}g$ DNA and 15-25 transformants/${\mu}g$ DNA in I. lacteus and P. tremellosa, respectively. The stable replication of the plasmid was confirmed by PCR using the plasmid-specific primers, and many mutants were generated during this integration in both fungi.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.10-13
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• 2008

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are hard to be degraded in nature, and are also accumulated in diverse organisms. They finally give negative effects to human through the food web. White rot fungi which have lignin-degrading enzymes have high potentials for degradation of recalcitrant compounds, and a white rot fungus, Phlebia tremellosa, isolated in Korea show good degrading activity against the endocrine disrupting phthalates. We have isolated a laccase cDNA which was involved in the degradation of EDCs, and constructed a laccase expression vector to use in the genetic transformation of P. tremellosa. The expression vector was stably integrated into the chromosomal DNAs and showed increased laccase activity in transformants. One of transformants showed not only increased degradation of several EDCs but also faster estrogenic decreasing activities generated by the EDCs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.550-557
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• 2010

Escherichia coli (E. coli) heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) was regarded as one of the most powerful mucosal immunoadjuvants eliciting strong immunoresponse to coadministered antigens. In the research, the high-level secretory expression of functional LTB was achieved in P. pastoris through high-density fermentation in a 5-1 fermentor. Meanwhile, the protein was expressed in E. coli by the way of inclusion body, although the gene was cloned from E. coli. Some positive yeast and E. coli transformants were obtained respectively by a series of screenings and identifications. Fusion proteins LTB-6$\times$His could be secreted into the supernatant of the medium after the recombinant P. pastoris was induced by 0.5% (v/v) methanol at $30^{\circ}C$, whereas E. coli transformants expressed target protein in inclusion body after being induced by 1 mM IPTG at $37^{\circ}C$. The expression level increased dramatically to 250-300 mg/l supernatant of fermentation in the former and 80-100 mg/l in the latter. The LTB-6$\times$His were purified to 95% purity by affinity chromatography and characterized by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Adjuvant activity of target protein was analyzed by binding ability with GMI gangliosides. The MW of LTB-6$\times$His expressed in P. pastoris was greater than that in E. coli, which was equal to the expected 11 kDa, possibly resulted from glycosylation by P. pastoris that would enhance the immunogenicity of co-administered antigens. These data demonstrated that P. pastoris producing heterologous LTB has significant advantages in higher expression level and in adjuvant activity compared with the homologous E. coli system.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.441-445
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• 1987

The gene coding for alkaline amylase of alkalophilic Bacillus sp. AL-8 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli which was lack of amylase activity. For the cloning of the alkaline amylase gene, the chromosomal DNA and plasmid vector pBR322 were cleaved at the site of EcoRI and the gene was cloned. The selection of the transformants carrying the amylase gene was based on the their antibiotics resistance and amylase activity of the transformants. The recombinant plasmids pJW8 and pJW200 containing 5.8Kb and 3.0Kb EcoRI inserts respectively were proved to can the alkaline amylase gene. Alkaline amylase expressed in E. coli was characterized. The enzyme was proved to be stable at the range of alkaline pH.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.307-312
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• 2007

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was transformed with the coding sequence of the Tombus virus gene p19 to determine whether the gene functions as an RNAi suppressor in C. reinhardtii. Transformants were confirmed to have 1 to several copies of p19 gene in their chromosomes. When an RNAi strain of C. reinhardtii generated by transforming the inverted repeat (IR) sequence homologous to the 3'UTR region of the MAA7 gene was re-transformed with the gene p19, MAA7 transcript levels of transformants fluctuated and proliferation of trans-formants on the medium containing 5-FI was suppressed. Overall results suggest that p19-mediated silencing suppression works at a low level in C. reinhardtii because of difference in codon usage resulting in weak P19 expression unless p19-mediated silencing suppression in C. reinhardtii works in a different manner from higher plants.