• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.808-819
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• 2023

This study was conducted to develop a selection marker for the identification of the Bacillus licheniformis K12 strain in microbial communities. The strain not only demonstrates good growth at moderate temperatures but also contains enzymes that catalyze the decomposition of various polymer materials, such as proteases, amylases, cellulases, lipases, and xylanases. To identify molecular markers appropriate for use in a microbial community, a search was conducted to identify variable gene regions that show considerable genetic mutations, such as recombinase, integration, and transposase sites, as well as phase-related genes. As a result, five areas were identified that have potential as selection markers. The candidate markers were two recombinase sites (BLK1 and BLK2), two integration sites (BLK3 and BLK4), and one phase-related site (BLK5). A PCR analysis performed with different Bacillus species (e.g., B. licheniformis, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus) confirmed that PCR products appeared at specific locations in B. licheniformis: BLK1 in recombinase, BLK2 in recombinase family protein, and BLK3 and BLK4 as site-specific integrations. In addition, BLK1 and BLK3 were identified as good candidate markers via a PCR analysis performed on subspecies of standard B. licheniformis strains. Therefore, the findings suggest that BLK1 can be used as a selection marker for B. licheniformis species and subspecies in the microbiome.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2014

We isolated highly-expressed genes in the posterior silk glands of silkworm on a previously study, which one of these was identified as RNA binding protein-1 homologue (RBP-1) gene. In this study, we investigated gene expressional characteristics of the RBP-1 depending on silkworm development stages and several tissues of the larvae, respectively. Northern blot hybridization analysis showed that the RBP-1 gene was expressed high in larval and pupal periods, and highly expressed than endogenous internal control gene (BmA3) on all tested larval tissues. In addition, we isolated and analyzed a phage DNA having 1,660 bp-long promoter region of the RBP-1 gene from a genomic DNA library. To study the RBP-1 gene promoter activity, RBP-1 (-740/+ 30) was amplified by PCR and subcloned into a pGL3 basic vector to generate pGL-RBP1. A luciferase report vector carrying RBP-1 gene promoter (770 bp) was tested by luciferase assay in Sf9 cells. In the result, the RBP-1 gene promoter was more efficient than constitutive promoter (BmA3) by approximately ten percent.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2007

In order to search for specific genotypes related to this unique phenotype, we used whole genomic DNA microarray to characterize the genomic diversity of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains isolated from clinical patients in China. The open reading frame (ORF) fragments on our microarray were generated by PCR using gene-specific primers. Genomic DNA of H. pylori 26695 and J99 were used as templates. Thirty-four H. pylori isolates were obtained from patients in Shanghai. Results were judged based on In(x) transformed and normalized Cy3/Cy5 ratios. Our microarray included 1882 DNA fragments corresponding to 1636 ORFs of both sequenced H. pylori strains. Cluster analysis, revealed two diverse regions in the H. pylori genome that were not present in other isolates. Among the 1636 genes, 1091 (66.7%) were common to all H. pylori strains, representing the functional core of the genome. Most of the genes found in the H. pylori functional core were responsible for metabolism, cellular processes, transcription and biosynthesis of amino acids, functions that are essential to H. pylori's growth and colonization in its host. In contrast, 522 (31.9%) genes were strain-specific genes that were missing from at least one strain of H. pylori. Strain-specific genes primarily included restriction modification system components, transposase genes, hypothetical proteins and outer membrane proteins. These strain-specific genes may aid the bacteria under specific circumstances during their long-term infection in genetically diverse hosts. Our results suggest 34 H. pylori clinical strains have extensive genomic diversity. Core genes and strain-specific genes both play essential roles in H. pylori propagation and pathogenesis. Our microarray experiment may help select relatively significant genes for further research on the pathogenicity of H. pylori and development of a vaccine for H. pylori.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.340-347
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• 1995

We have used two kinds of P element constructs, Pc[(ry+)B] and p[(ry+)$\Delta$SX9], for genetic transformation by microinjection of D. melanogaster. Pc[(ry+)B] construct carrying the rosy gene within an autonomous P element was injected into a true M strain caring the ry506. mutation. The source of transposase for microinjection and transformation was provided by a P element helper plasmid designated p-$\Delta$2-3hs$\pi$, which was co-injected with nonautonomous P[(ry+)$\Delta$SX9] construct into same ry506 M strains. A dechorination method was adopted and 35 independent transformed lines were obtained froin 1143 G0 Injected (35/1143). About 20% of the injected embryos eclosed as adults. Among G0 eclosed flies, approximately 40% exhibited eye color that was similar to wild-type (ry+), but about 60% of fertile G0 transformed lines appeared to have no G1 transformants. Therefore it is unlikely that G0 expression requires integration of the rosy transposon into chromosomes. Pc[(ry+)B] and P[(ry+)$\Delta$SX9] constructs were found to be nearly same in the frequency of element-mediated transformation. On the basis of these results, nonautonomous P elements constructs could he used as same effective vectors in P element-mediated transformation for introducing and fixing genes in insect populations.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2007

Lactoferrin, an ion-binding 80-kDa glycoprotein, has been suggested to have many biologic activities, such as facilitating ion absorption and having antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Several of these activities are likely to only be facilitated by human lactoferrin because they depend on the binding of human lactoferrin to specific receptor. To produce recombinant human lactoferrin to animal foods using transgenic silkworm, Bombyx mori L, we have cloned and sequenced the cDNA encoding for a human lactoferrin (HLf) from the mRNA in mammary tumor line (GI-101). As a result, the 2.5-kb fragment of HLf gene was cloned with pGEM-T vector and then this fragment was sequenced. In the nucleotide sequence analysis, single open reading frame of the 2,136-bp encoding for a polypeptide of 712 amino acid residues was detected. On the other hand, we constructed a recombinant plasmid(pPT-HLf), containing human lactoferrin gene for germ line transformation of the silkworm using a piggyBac transposon-derived vector. A nonautonomous helper plasmid encodes the piggyBac transposase. Approximately 6.7% of individuals in the G0 silkworms expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP). PCR analyses of GFP-positive silkworms (G0 and G1) revealed that independent insertions occurred frequently. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant HLf expressed in hemolymph has the same molecular weight (80 kDa) as a native protein. On the basis of these experiments, expression of HLf in next generation of transgenic silkworm is now in process.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.195-201
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• 2020

Rice bacterial leaf blight (BLB) by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is considered to be one of the major rice diseases steadily occurring around the rice-producing countries. In this study, we developed a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for the rapid, convenient and specific diagnosis of Xoo by targeting Xoo-specific transposase A gene. As the target gene can be amplified in 10 min without DNA extraction process and special equipment for temperature control, RPA for BLB can be useful and practical component for on-site diagnosis.