• Mycobiology
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.491-497
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• 2021

An endolichenic fungus Xylaria grammica EL000614 produces grammicin, a potent nematicidal pyrone derivative that can serve as a new control option for root-knot nematodes. We optimized an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) protocol for X. grammica to support genetic studies. Transformants were successfully generated after co-cultivation of homogenized young mycelia of X. grammica with A. tumefaciens strain AGL-1 carrying a binary vector that contains the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene and the eGFP gene in T-DNA. The resulting transformants were mitotically stable, and PCR analysis showed the integratin of both genes in the genome of transformants. Expression of eGFP was confirmed via fluorescence microscopy. Southern analysis showed that 131 (78.9%) out of 166 transformants contained a single T-DNA insertion. Crucial factors for producing predominantly single T-DNA transformants include 48 h of co-cultivation, pretreatment of A. tumefaciens cells with acetosyringone before co-cultivation, and using freshly prepared mycelia. The established ATMT protocol offers an efficient tool for random insertional mutagenesis and gene transfer in studying the biology and ecology of X. grammica.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.274-282
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• 2019

Mercury-resistant ($Hg^R$) bacteria were isolated from heavy metal polluted wastewater and soil collected near to tanneries of district Kasur, Pakistan. Bacterial isolates AZ-1, AZ-2 and AZ-3 showed resistance up to $40{\mu}g/ml$ against mercuric chloride ($HgCl_2$). 16S rDNA ribotyping and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the characterization of selected isolates as Bacillus sp. AZ-1 (KT270477), Bacillus cereus AZ-2 (KT270478) and Bacillus cereus AZ-3 (KT270479). Phylogenetic relationship on the basis of merA nucleotide sequence confirmed 51-100% homology with the corresponding region of the merA gene of already reported mercury-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. The merE gene involved in the transportation of elemental mercury ($Hg^0$) via cell membrane was cloned for the first time into pHLV vector and transformed in overexpressed C43(DE3) E. coli cells. The recombinant plasmid (pHLMerE) was expressed and the native MerE protein was obtained after thrombin cleavage by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The purification of fusion/recombinant and native protein MerE by Ni-NTA column, dialysis and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC/SEC) involved unfolding/refolding techniques. A small-scale reservoir of wastewater containing $30{\mu}g/ml$ of $HgCl_2$ was designed to check the detoxification ability of selected strains. It resulted in 83% detoxification of mercury by B. cereus AZ-2 and B. cereus AZ-3, and 76% detoxification by Bacillus sp. AZ-1 respectively (p < 0.05).

• 한국축산식품학회지
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.601-609
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• 2019

Bifidobacterium longum KACC 91563 secretes family 5 extracellular solute-binding protein via extracellular vesicle. In our previous work, it was demonstrated that the protein effectively alleviated food allergy symptoms via mast cell specific apoptosis, and it has revealed a therapeutic potential of this protein in allergy treatment. In the present study, we cloned the gene encoding extracellular solute-binding protein of the strain into the histidine-tagged pET-28a(+) vector and transformed the resulting plasmid into the Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). The histidine-tagged extracellular solute-binding protein expressed in the transformed cells was purified using Ni-NTA affinity column. To enhance the efficiency of the protein purification, three parameters were optimized; the host bacterial strain, the culturing and induction temperature, and the purification protocol. After the process, two liters of transformed culture produced 7.15 mg of the recombinant proteins. This is the first study describing the production of extracellular solute-binding protein of probiotic bacteria. Establishment of large-scale production strategy for the protein will further contribute to the development of functional foods and potential alternative treatments for allergies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.749-760
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• 2022

α-Galactosidase is a debranching enzyme widely used in the food, feed, paper, and pharmaceuticals industries and plays an important role in hemicellulose degradation. Here, T26, an aerobic bacterial strain with thermostable α-galactosidase activity, was isolated from laboratory-preserved lignocellulolytic microbial consortium TMC7, and identified as Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius. The α-galactosidase, called T26GAL and derived from the T26 culture supernatant, exhibited a maximum enzyme activity of 0.4976 IU/ml when cultured at 60℃ and 180 rpm for 2 days. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the α-galactosidase T26GAL belongs to the GH36 family. Subsequently, the pET-26 vector was used for the heterologous expression of the T26 α-galactosidase gene in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The optimum pH for α-galactosidase T26GAL was determined to be 8.0, while the optimum temperature was 60℃. In addition, T26GAL demonstrated a remarkable thermostability with more than 93% enzyme activity, even at a high temperature of 90℃. Furthermore, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ promoted the activity of T26GAL while Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ inhibited it. The substrate specificity studies revealed that T26GAL efficiently degraded raffinose, stachyose, and guar gum, but not locust bean gum. This study thus facilitated the discovery of an effective heat-resistant α-galactosidase with potent industrial application. Meanwhile, as part of our research on lignocellulose degradation by a microbial consortium, the present work provides an important basis for encouraging further investigation into this enzyme complex.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.548-555
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• 2006

FaeG is the key factor in the infection process of K88ad enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) fimbrial adhesin. In an attempt to determine the possibility of expressing recombinant FaeG with immunogenicity for a new safe and high-production vaccine in E. coli, we constructed the recombinant strain, BL21 (DE3+K88), which harbors an expression vector with a DNA fragment of faeG, without a signal peptide. Results of 15% SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel analysis showed that FaeG can be stably over-expressed in BL21 (DE3+K88) as inclusion bodies without FaeE. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM) responses in pregnant pigs, with boost injections of the purified recombinant FaeG, were detected 4 weeks later in the sera and colostrum. An in vitro villius-adhesion assay verified that the elicited antibodies in the sera of vaccinated pigs were capable of preventing the adhesion of K88ad ETEC to porcine intestinal receptors. The protective effect on the mortality rates of suckling piglets born to vaccinated mothers was also observed one week after oral challenge with the virulent ETEC strain, $C_{83907}$ (K88ad, $CT^+,\;ST^+$). The results of this study proved that the adhesin of proteinaceous bacterial fimbriae or pili could be overexpressed in engineered E. coli strains, with protective immune responses to the pathogen.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.189-195
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• 2007

Although the incidence and severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) is steadily increasing at an alarming rate, its pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood yet. Recently, we found that the expression of Grb7 protein was markedly decreased in AD patients using proteomic analysis. In the present study, human Grb7 gene was fused with PEP-1 peptide in a bacterial expression vector to produce a genetic in-frame PEP-1-Grb7 fusion protein. The expressed and purified PEP-1-Grb7 fusion proteins transduced efficiently into skin cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner when added exogenously in culture media. Once inside the cells, the transduced PEP-1-Grb7 protein was stable for 48 h. In addition, transduced PEP-1-Grb7 fusion protein markedly increased cell viability in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells treated with LPS by inhibition of the COX-2 expression level. These results suggest that the PEP-1-Grb7 fusion protein can be used in protein therapy for inflammatory skin disorders, including AD.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.55-63
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• 2008

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective death of motor neurons. Mutations in the SOD1 gene are responsible for a familial form of ALS (FALS). Although many studies suggest that mutant SOD1 proteins are cytotoxic, the mechanism is not fully understood. To investigate the role of mutant SOD1 in FALS, human SOD1 genes were fused with a PEP-1 peptide in a bacterial expression vector to produce in-frame PEP-1-SOD fusion proteins (wild type and mutants). The expressed and purified PEP-1-SOD fusion proteins were efficiently transduced into neuronal cells. Neurones harboring the A4V, G93A, G85R, and D90A mutants of PEP-1-SOD were more vulnerable to oxidative stress induced by paraquat than those harboring wild-type proteins. Moreover, neurones harboring the mutant SOD proteins had lower heat shock protein (Hsp) expression levels than those harboring wild-type SOD. The effects of the transduced SOD1 fusion proteins may provide an explanation for the association of SOD1 with FALS, and Hsps could be candidate agents for the treatment of ALS.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.195-200
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• 2005

Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12의 pmcABCDEFT 유전자군은 protocatechuate (PCA)의 분해과정에 관여하는 PCA 4,5-dioxygenase, 4-carboxy-2hydroxymuconic semialdehyde (CHMS) dehydrogenase, 2-pyrone04,5-dicarboxylate(PDC) hydrolase, 4-oxalomesaconate (OMA) hydratase, 그리고 4-oxalocitramalate (OCM) aldolase 등의 효소들을 생산하는 유전자들과 transporter의 역학을 하는 유전자로 각각 확인되었다. 이 유전자군은 Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12의 chromosomal DNA로부터 얻은 PCR 산물들을 T-vector에 ligation하여 재조합 플라스미드 pMT1, pMT2, pMT3, pMT4, pMT5, pMT6, pMT7, pMT8, pMT9, pMT10을 제조하였다. 이들 재조합 플라스미드의 염기서열을 분석한 결과 PCA 4,5-dioxygenase 유전자는 alpha(pmcA)와 beta(pmcB) 두 개의 subunit으로 구성 되어있으며, 각각 450 bp와 870 bp이었다. CHMS dehydrogenase 유전자(pmcC)는 960 bp, PDC hydrolase 유전자(pmcD)는 918 bp이였으며, OMA hydratase 유전자(pmcE)는 1029 bp, OCM aldolase 유전자 (pmcF)는 689 bp, 그리고 transporter 유전자(pmcT)는 1,398 bp이였다. 이들 pmc 유전자들은 pmcT-pmcE-pmcF-pmcD-pmcA-pmcB-pmcC의 순서로 배열되어 있었다. Comamonas sp. strain DJ-12의 pmcABCDEFT 유전자산물의 아미노산 서열을 분석한 결과, Comamonas testosteroni BR6020 및 Psedomonas ochraceae NG.J1와 $94{\~}98\%$의 높은 유사성을 보였고, 그 유전자들의 배열 순서도 동일하였다. 그러나 Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6, Sphingomonas sp. LB126, 그리고 Arthrobacter keyser 12B와는 아미노산 서열이 $52{\~}74\%$의 유사성을 보였고, 그 유전자의 배열 구조도 상이하였다.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.19-22
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• 2007

Acetohydroxylacid synthase (E.C.2.2.1.6.,AHAS)는 박테리아, 곰팡이, 식물 등에서 필수 아미노산중 세 가지 아미노산(Val, Leu, Ile)의 생합성에 관여하는 효소중 하나이다. Haemophilus influenzae에 대한 AHAS의 효소특성을 규명하기 위하여 H. influenzae의 AHAS catalytic subunit 유전자(TIGR access code HI2585)를 pET28a 발현 벡터에 삽입시켰고, 대장균 BL21(DE3)에서 C-말단에 일련의 histidine을 갖는 재조합 단백질로 발현시켰고, Histidine-tag affinity chromatography 및 gel filtration chromatography를 이용하여 단일 단백질로 정제하였다. 정제하여 얻은 단백질은 최대 15 mg/ml까지 농축이 가능하였다. 정제된 단백질의 분자량은 SDS-PAGE 전기 영동법을 이용하여 약 63.9 kDa의 분자량을 확인하였다. AHAS 효소 활성은 discontinuous colorimetric assay방법을 이용하여 측정하였다. H. influenzae AHAS catalytic subunit의 specific activity는 3.22 U/mg 이었다. 또한AHAS의 최적 활성 온도와 pH는 각각$37^{\circ}C$와 pH 7.5이었다. AHAS 효소 활성은buffer의 종류에 따라 차이가 있었으며, 유기용매가 증가함에 따라 효소 활성도 감소하였다.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제27권2호통권89호
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• pp.132-137
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• 1999

본 연구는 느타리버섯 갈반병 병원균인 pseudomonas tolaasii의 진단을 위한 분자 marker를 개발하기 위해 수행되었다. 세균의 반복염기서열과 펙틴 분해효소 유전자로부터 제작된 여러개의 primer들을 이용해 식용버섯으로부터 분리된 Pseudomonas종들로부터 DNA 다형성을 유도한 바펙틴 분해 효소로부터 제작된 PEU1 primer는 다른 Pseudomonas종들로부터 P. tolaasii를 구분시키는 다형성 밴드를 생성하였다. P. tolaasii 6균주에 공통적으로 나타나는 1.0kb와 0.4kb의 두 가지 밴드를 pGEM-T에 클로닝하고 이들을 각기 pPTOP1과 pPTOP2로 명명하고 probe로 이용하였다. 0.4kb 크기의 pPTOP2의 삽입 DNA는 P. tolaasii 6균주와 hybridization이 이루어진 반면 다른 Pseudomonas종과는 반응하지 않았다. 0.4kb크기의 pPTOP2의 삽입 DNA를 probe로 이용해 dot blot hybridization한 결과 P. tolaasii는 $1.5{\times}10^3\;cfu$까지 검출이 가능함을 확인하였다.