The subcellular localization of the SopB protein, which is encoded by the Escherichia coli F plasmid and is involved in the partition of the single-copy plasmid, was directly visualized through the expression of the protein fused to the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP). The fusion protein was found to localize to positions close but not at the poles of exponentially growing cells. Examination of derivatives of the fusion protein lacking various regions of SopB suggests that the signal for the cellular localization of SopB resides in a region close to its N terminus. Overexpression of SopB led to silencing of genes linked to, but well-separated from, a cluster of SopB-binding sites termed sopC. In this SopB-mediated repression of sopC-linked genes, all but the N-terminal 82 amino acids of SopB can be replaced by the DNA-binding domain of a sequence-specific DNA -binding protein, provided that the sopC locus is also replaced by the recognition sequence of the DNA-binding domain. These results suggest a mechanism of gene silencing: patches of closely packed DNA-binding protein is localized to specific cellular sites; such a patch can capture a DNA carrying the recognition site of the DNA -binding domain and sequestrate genes adjacent to the recognition site through nonspecific binding of DNA.

In order to find out SoxR-reducing system in E. coli, we generated Tn10-insertion mutants and screened for constitutive expression of SoxS in a soxS-lacZ fusion strain. One mutation was mapped in rseB, a gene in rseABC (Regulation of SigmaE) operon. The constitutive soxS-expressing phenotype was due to the polar effect on the downstream gene, rseC. RseC is likely to function as a component of SoxR reduction system because SoxR was kept in oxidized form to activate soxS expression in rseC mutant. RseC is an integral membrane protein with an N-terminal cysteine-rich domain in the cytoplasm. The functionally critical cysteines were determined by substitution mutagenesis. The truncated N-terminal domain of RseC reduced the soxS transcription by $50\%$ as judged by in vitro transcription assay. Currently RseC is believed to be a reducing factor for SoxR. However, the mechanism for the reduction needs further investigation.

It hab been proposed that CHS3-mediated chitin synthesis during the vegitative cell cycle is regulated by CHS4. To investigate direct protein-protein interaction between their coding products, we used yeast two hybrid system and found that a domain of Chs3p was responsible for interaction with Chs4p. This domain, termed MIRC3-4 (maximum interacting region of chs3p with chs4p), spans from 647 to 700 residues. It is well conserved among CHS3 homologs of various fungi such as Candida albicans, Emericella nidulans, Neurospora crassa, Magnaporthe grisea, Ustilago maydis, Glomus versiforme, Exophiala dermatitidis, Rhizopus microsporus. A series of mutaion in the MIRC3-4 resulted in no appearance of chitin ring at the early G 1 phase but did not affect chitin synthesis in the cell wall after cytokinesis. Absence of chitin ring could be caused either by delocalization of Chs3p to the septum or by improper interaction with Chs4p. To discriminate those two, not mutually exclusive, alternatives, mutants cells were immunostained with Chs3p-specific antibody. Some exhibited localization of chs3p to the septum, while others failed. These results indicate that simultaneous localization and activation Chs3p by Chs4p is required for chitin ring synthesis.

For a variety of viruses, the primary virus infection has been shown to prevent superinfection with a homologous secondary virus; however, the mechanism of exclusion has not been clearly understood. In this work, we demonstrated that BVDV -infected MDBK cells were protected from superinfection with a homologous superinfecting BVDV, one of the positive-sense RNA pestiviruses, but not with an unrelated rhabdovirus, such as vesicular stomatitis virus. Once superinfection exclusion was established by a primary infection with BVDV, the transfected infectious BVD viral RNA genome was shown to be competent for viral translation, but not viral replication. In addition, our results also demonstrated that upon superinfection, the. viral RNA genome of viral particles was not transferred into the cytoplasm of BVDV -infected cells. Using newly developed system involving rapid generation of the MDBK cells expressing BVD viral proteins, we subsequently found that expression of the viral structural proteins was dispensable for the block occurring at the level of viral RNA replication, but required for the exclusion at the level of viral entry step. Altogether, these findings provide evidence that the superinfection exclusion of BVDV occurs not only at the level of viral replication in which the viral replicase are involved, but also at the level of viral entry with which the viral structural proteins are associated, and that a cellular factor(s) play an essential role in this process.

The AIDS epidemic continues unabated in many part of the world. After near two decades, no vaccine is available to combat the spread of this deadly disease. Much of the HIV -1 vaccine effort during the past decade has focused on the viral envelope glycoprotein, largely because it is the only protein that can elicit neutralizing antibodies (Nabs). Eliciting broadly cross-reactive Nabs has been a primary goal. The intrinsic genetic diversity of the viral envelope, however, has been one of the major impediments in vaccine development. We have recently completed a comprehensive study examining whether it is possible to elicit broadly acting Nabs by immunizing monkeys with mixtures of envelope proteins from multiple HIV -1 isolates. We compared the humoral immune responses elicited by vaccination with either single or multiple envelope proteins and evaluated the importance of humoral and non-humoral immune response in protection against a challenge virus with a homologous or heterologous envelope protein. Our results show that (1) Nab is the correlate of sterilizing immunity, (2) Nabs against primary HIV -1 isolates can be elicited by the live vector-prime/protein boost approach, and (3) polyvalent envelope vaccines elicit broader Nab response than monovalent vaccines. Nonetheless, our findings clearly indicate that the increased breadth of Nab response is by and large limited to strains included in the vaccine mixture and does not extend to heterologous non-vaccine strains. Our study strongly demonstrates how difficult it may be to elicit broadly reactive Nabs using envelope proteins and sadly predicts a similar fate for many of the vaccine candidates currently being evaluated in clinical trials. We have started to evaluate other vaccine candidates (e.g. genetically modified envelope proteins) that might elicit broadly reactive Nabs. We are also exploring other vaccine strategies to elicit potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses. Preliminary results from some of these experiments will be discussed.

Aspergillus oryzae is a filamentous fungus classified in the group Aspergillaceae Ascomycetes. It is an important microorganism for industrial production of enzymes and fermented food productions. It secrets large quantities of proteins or enzymes into the culture medium which makes this organism appealing for the production of heterologous proteins. Recently Electric field-mediated transformation method, electroporation, has been applied to fungal transformation. In this study, fungal transformation was carried out by bypassing the protoplast isolation step, decreasing the culturing time and non-protoplast transformation for the increment of transformation efficiency. Transformants were obtained with electroporation in optimal condition 2,500 voltage, 1,540 ohm and 0.50 capacitance. More than 1,000 transform ants were obtained with 6-10 hrs cultured mycelia without enzyme treatment, called non-protoplast transformation.

In this study biofuel cell is classified into 5 generation fuel cell system based on structural and structural difference. I optionally named the biofuel cell with electron mediators prototype, that with electrochemical active bacterium 2nd generation, that with modified electrode with NR 3rd generation, that with catalytic active electrode 4th generation, and that using air as a catholyte instead of ion selective membrane and cathode, respectively. The electricity production was compared among 5 types biofuel cell and was confirmed to be $50-100\%$ higher in 4th and 5th generation than in 1st to 3rd generation.

The development and performance of a competitive indirect immunoassay for the quantitative measurement of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds in insulating oils is presented. Reagent preparation and the assay characterisation, optimisation and validation steps are described. The dynamic range of the assay for Aroclors 1254 and 1260 in methanol was $50-800 {\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ with $50\%$ signal inhibition values of 217 and $ 212 {\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ respectively. Impending legislation in the UK is likely to decree that oils containing $ >50 {\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ PCB be considered contaminated. Assay sensitivity increased with the degree of PCB chlorination. The assay of structurally related compounds of environmental concern yielded cross-reactivity values of under $0.6\%$. The immunoassay proved reliable for the analysis of transformer oils containing $>70{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ PCB, but over-estimated PCB levels in oils containing $<20{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ of the analyte with the oils requiring pre-treatment using either solid-phase extraction techniques or washing with KOH-ethanol/sulphuric acid to remove matrix interferents. The analytical performance of the assay was compared against a commercially available semi-quantitative immunoassay kit for PCBs in soil and water.

The thiosulfate reductase gene (PhsABC) from Salmonella typhimurium was expressed in Escherichia coli in order to produce sulfide from inorganic thiosulfate and precipitate metals as metal sulfide complexes. A 5.1-kb DNA fragment containing the native phsABC and a 3.7-kb DNA fragment, excluding putative promoter and regulatory regions were inserted into expression vectors pTrc99A and pJB866, respectively. Upon expression of phsABC, E. coli DH5$\alpha$ harboring the phsABC constructs showed higher thiosulfate reductase activity and produced significantly more sulfide than the control strain (E. coli DH5$\alpha$) under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Among the four constructs, E. coli DH5$\alpha$ harboring pSB74 produced the highest level of thiosulfate reductase and removed most of heavy metals from solution under anaerobic conditions. In a mixture of 100 $\mu$M each of cadmium, lead, and zinc, the strain could remove $99\%$ of the total metals from solution within 10 hours. Cadmium was removed first, lead second, and zinc last. In contrast, a negative control did not produce any measurable sulfide and removed very little metals from solution. These results have important implications for removal of metals from wastewater contaminated with several metals.