• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1887-1894
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• 2007

In this paper, a rapid and reliable gene-targeted species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique based on a two-step process was established to identify bifidobacteria in dairy products. The first step was the PCR assay for genus Bifidobacterium with genus specific primers followed by the second step, which identified the species level with species-specific primer mixtures. Ten specific primer pairs, designed from nucleotide sequences of the 16-23S rRNA region, were developed for the Bifidobacterium species including B. angulatum, B. animalis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. catenulatum, B. infantis, B. longum, B. minimum, B. subtile, and B. thermophilum. This technique was applied to the identification of Bifidobacterium species isolated from 6 probiotic products, and four different Bifidobacterium spp. (B. bifidum, B. longum, B. infantis, and B. breve) were identified. The findings indicated that the 16S-23S rDNA gene-targeted species-specific PCR technique is a simple and reliable method for identification of bifidobacteria in probiotic products. PCR combined with Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) for identification of the bifidobacteria was also evaluated and compared with the gene-targeted species-specific technique. Results indicated that for fermented milk products consistency was found for both species-specific PCR and PCR-DGGE in detecting species. However, in some lyophilized products, the bands corresponding to these species were not visualized in the DGGE profile but the specific PCR gave a positive result.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.775-778
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• 2006

Sarabi cows (n = 136) from the Sarabi Breeding Station were genotyped at bovine lymphocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3.2 locus by a genotyping system that used the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples. A two-step polymerase chain reaction was carried out in order to amplify a 284 base-pair fragment of target gene. Nested-PCR products were digested with three restriction endonuclease enzymes RsaI, BstYI and HaeIII. Digested fragments were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Twenty-six BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles were identified with frequencies ranging from 0.4 to 15.1%. Six new allele types observed in this study have not been reported previously. Identified alleles include: BoLA-DRB3.$2^*1$, $^*2$, $^*4$, $^*6$, $^*8$, $^*12$, $^*13$, $^*14$, $^*15$, $^*16$, $^*17$, $^*23$, $^*24$, $^*25$, $^*28$, $^*32$, $^*34$, $^*35$, $^*36$, $^*37$, $^*42$, $^*46$, $^*51$, $^*kba$, $^*laa$ and $^*vaa$. Their frequencies were found to be 0.4, 0.4, 0.7, 11.4, 1.1, 1.8, 2.9, 2.2, 4.4, 9.6, 1.1, 13.6, 0.4, 0.4, 1.1, 0.7, 0.4, 6.2, 2.2, 3.7, 1.1, 7.7, 1.5, 15.1, 2.6 and 7.3% respectively. The six most frequent alleles (DRB3.2 $^*6$, $^*16$, $^*23$, $^*46$, $^*kba$ and $^*vaa$) accounted for 64.7% of the alleles in the population of this herd. Numerous studies on this locus, covering different breeds, has revealed the existence of various alleles in this locus, and new investigations have introduced novel alleles. With respect to the high number of the observed alleles in this survey and the novelty of some alleles with no previous record of reporting, it is plausible to conclude that the BoLA-DRB3.2 locus is highly polymorphic in Iranian native Sarabi cows.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.690-694
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• 2005

Transcription termination of the human mitochondrial genome requires specific binding to termination factor mTERF. In this study, mTERF was produced in E. coli and purified by two-step chromatography. mTERF-binding DNA sequences were isolated from a pool of randomized sequences by the repeated selection of bound sequences by gel-mobility shift assay and polymerase chain reaction. Sequencing and comparison of the 23 isolated clones revealed a 16-bp consensus sequence of 5'-GTG$\b{TGGC}$AGANCCNGG-3' in the light-strand (underlined residues were absolutely conserved), which nicely matched the genomic 13-bp terminator sequence 5'-$\b{TGGC}$AGAGCCCGG-3'. Moreover, mTERF binding assays of heteroduplex and single-stranded DNAs showed mTERF recognized the light strand in preference to the heavy strand. The preferential binding of mTERF with the light-strand may explain its distinct orientation-dependent termination activity.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1996

Microgram quantities of DNA per gram soil were recovered with SDS- based and freeze-and thaw procedures. The average DNA fragment size was > 23 Kb. This method generated minimal shearing of extracted DNA. However, the DNA extracts still contained considerable amounts of humic impurities sufficient to inhibit PCR. Several approaches were used to reduce the interferences with the PCR (use of CTAF in extraction step, Elutip-d column purification, addition of BSA to PCR buffer) to accomplish PCR with DNA extract as a template. Most of the DNA extracts were not digested completely by restriction endonuclease, and CTAB-TREATED ane Elutip-d column purified DNA extracts were partially digested. Regarding as restriction enzyme digestion, all PCRs failed to amplify 16S rRNA gene fragments in the DNA extracts. In the case of DNA extracts only where BSA was added to PCR buffer, PCR was successfully conducted whether the DNA extracts were treated with CTAB or purified with columns. However, these two treatments were indispensable for humic impurity-rich DNA extracts to generate the PCR-compatible DNA samples. Direct extraction of DNA, coupled with these procedures to remove and relieve interferences by humic impurities and followed by the PCR, can be rapid and simple method for molecular microbiological study on soil microorganisms.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2018

Wild walleye pollock were caught from Goseong, The East Sea of Korea and examined for the existence of several fish pathogenic viruses; viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), nervous necrosis virus (NNV) and marine birnavirus (MABV). We collected 1,253 wild walleye pollock in total during February 2015 and August 2018. 324 spleen sample sets and 259 brain sample sets were made, and examined for the existence of the viruses mentioned above by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). None of the target viruses were detected by one-step PCR. When some of these samples were further examined by two-step PCR, 19.7% (36/183) of spleen sample sets were positive for VHSV, and 4.4% (8/183) of spleen sample sets and 1.2% (3/259) of brain sample sets were positive for NNV. The target sequences of these viruses were clustered with those previously reported in Korea (Genotype IVa of VHSV, RGNNV genotype of NNV) by phylogenetic analysis. The activity of these viruses are not clear because virus isolation was not attempted, but probably very low because all the positive samples were detected by two-step PCR.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.370-375
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• 2014

BACE2 is a membrane-bound aspartic protease that is highly homologous with BACE1. While BACE1 processes the amyloid precursor protein (APP) at a key step in generating ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide and presumably causes Alzheimer's disease (AD), BACE2 has not been demonstrated to be involved in APP processing directly, and its physiological functions are unknown. To determine its function and to develop inhibitors from marine sources, we constructed an overexpression vector for producing BACE2. The gene encoding human BACE2 protease was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and cloned into the pET11a expression vector, resulting in pET11a/BACE2. Recombinant BACE2 protease was overexpressed successfully in E. coli as inclusion bodies, refolded using the rapid-dilution method, and purified via two-step fast protein liquid chromatography using Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration and Resource-Q column chromatography. The BACE2 protease produced was an active form. This study provides an efficient method not only for studying the basic properties of BACE2, but also for developing inhibitors from natural marine sources.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.458-468
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• 2007

To tolerate environmentally adverse conditions such as cold, drought, and salinity, plants often synthesize and accumulate proline in cells as compatible osmolytes. ${\Delta}^1$-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase(P5CS) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of proline biosynthesis from glutamate. Two complete genes, MtP5CS1 and MtP5CS2, were isolated from the model legume Medicago truncatula by cDNA cloning and bacterial artificial chromosome library screening. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that both genes consisted of 20 exons and 19 introns. Alignment of the predicted amino acid sequences revealed high similarities with P5CS proteins from other plant species. The two MtP5CS genes were expressed in response to high salt and low temperature treatments. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that MtP5CS1 was expressed earlier than MtP5CS2, indicating differential regulation of the two genes. To evaluate the reverse genetic effects of nucleotide changes on MtP5CS function, a Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes approach was taken. Three mutants each were isolated for MtP5CS1 and MtP5CS2, of which a P5CS2 nonsense mutant carrying a codon change from arginine to stop was expected to bring translation to premature termination. These provide a valuable genetic resource with which to determine the function of the P5CS genes in environmental stress responses of legume crops.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 1998

Two distinct ADP-ribosyltransferases, termed Yac-1 and Yac-2 from mouse lymphoma cells were recently cloned and characterized. Yac-1 enzyme possesses ADP-ribosyltransferases activity. In contrast, Yac-2 has significant NAD glycohydrolase activity and may preferentially hydrolyze NAD. Yac-2 possesses a glutamate at position 219 adjacent to the two consdrved glutamic acid residues. To study the effect of Glu-219 on enzyme activities, Glu-219 was mutagenized to Glutamine (E219Q) or alanine (E219A) using a two-step recombinant polymerase chain reaction procedure. Replacing Glu at position 219 with Gln or Ala resulted in 56 (E219Q) or 66% (E219A) reduction in ADP-ribosyltranferase activity. The NAD glycohydrolase activity of Yac-2 protein were not altered by the mutations. These results indicate that Glu-219 in Yac-2 enzyme plays an important role in ADP-ribosyltransferase, but not NAD glycohydrolase activity.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.170-178
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• 2020

Most strawberry viruses exist relatively low titers in tissues, and strawberry tissues include high levels of contamination by polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. These traits make the efficiency of strawberry diagnosis difficult. In this study, we tested different commercially available kits and reagents to secure optimal RNA extraction methods to determine virus detection from strawberry leaves. Total RNA was isolated from leaves of strawberry mottle virus (SMoV)-infected strawberry cultivar 'Mihong'. The efficiency of total RNA for virus diagnosis was confirmed through SMoV detection by one-step or two-step reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Among those, the RNeasy plant RNA kit was best to isolate RNA and the isolated RNA was good enough for further applications. To ensure a reliable detection for strawberry viruses, synthetic diagnosis clones for major seven strawberry viruses such as strawberry mild yellow edge virus, SMoV, strawberry latent ring spot virus, strawberry crinkle virus, strawberry pallidosis associated virus, strawberry vein banding virus and strawberry necrotic spot virus have been constructed. Based on the synthetic genes in each clone, primer sets for seven strawberry viruses were designed and tested an RT-PCR condition through a simultaneous application of the same annealing temperature that allowed to achieve an efficient and convenient diagnosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.57-61
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• 2016

We report a finding of fast(exceeding 2,000 K/s) heating of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS), one of the most commonly-used microchannel materials, under cyclic loadings at high(~MHz) frequencies. A microheater was created based on the finding. The heating mechanism utilized vibration damping of sound waves, which were generated and precisely manipulated using a conventional surface acoustic wave(SAW) microfluidic system, in PDMS. The penetration depths were measured to range from $210{\mu}m$ to $1290{\mu}m$, enough to cover most microchannel heights in microfluidic systems. The energy conversion efficiency was SAW frequency-dependent and measured to be the highest at around 30 MHz. Independent actuation of each interdigital transducer(IDT) enabled independent manipulation of SAWs, permitting spatiotemporal control of temperature on the microchip. All the advantages of this microheater facilitated a two-step continuous flow polymerase chain reaction(CFPCR) to achieve the billion-fold amplification of a 134 bp DNA amplicon in less than 3 min. In addition, a technique was developed for establishing dynamic free-form temperature gradients(TGs) in PDMS as well as in gases in contact with the PDMS.