• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.359-371
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• 2019

To optimize the expression and secretion of ferritin protein associated with ion storage in the mushroom, Pleurotus eryngii, a recombinant secretion vector, harboring the ferritin gene, was constructed using a pPEVPR1b vector under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter and signal sequence of pathogen related protein (PR1b). The ferritin gene was isolated from the T-Fer vector following digestion with EcoRI and HindIII. The gene was then introduced into the pPEVPR1b secretion vector, and it was then named pPEVPR1b-Fer. The recombinant vector was transferred into P. eryngii via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The transformants were selected on MCM medium supplemented with kanamycin and its expression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and western blotting. Expression of ferritin protein was optimized by modifying the culture conditions such as incubation time and temperature in batch and 20 L airlift type fermenter. The optimal conditions for ferritin production were achieved at 25℃ and after incubating for 8 days on MCM medium. The amount of ferritin protein was 2.4 mg/g mycelia, as measured by a quantitative protein assay. However, the signal sequence of PR1b (32 amino acids) seems to be correctly processed by peptidase and ferritin protein may be targeted in the apoplast region of mycelia, and it might not be secreted in the culture medium. The iron binding activity was confirmed by Perls' staining in a 7.5% non-denaturing gel, indicating that the multimeric ferritin (composed of 24 subunits) was formed in P. eryngii mycelia. Mycelium powder containing ferritin was tested as a feed additive in broilers. The addition of ferritin powder stimulated the growth of young broilers and improved their feed efficiency and production index.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.482-493
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• 2005

Biomass is originally photosynthesized from inorgainic compounds such as $CO_2$, minerals, water and solar energy. Recent studies have shown that anaerobic bacteria have the ability to convert recalcitrant biomass such as cellullosic or chitinoic materials to useful compounds. The biomass containing agricultural waste, unutilized wood and other garbage is expected to utilize as feed, food and fuel by microbial degradation and other metabolic functions. In this study we isolated several anaerobic, cellulolytic and chitinolytic bacteria from rumen fluid, compost and soil to study their related enzymes and genes. The anaerobic and cellulolytic bacteria, Clostridium thermocellum, Clostridium stercorarium, and Clostridium josui, were isolated from compost and the chitinolytic Clostridium paraputrificum from beach soil and Ruminococcus albus was isolated from cow rumen. After isolation, novel cellulase and xylanase genes from these anaerobes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The properties of the cloned enzymes showed that some of them were the components of the enzyme (cellulase) complex, i.e., cellulosome, which is known to form complexes by binding cohesin domains on the cellulase integrating protein (Cip: or core protein) and dockerin domains on the enzymes. Several dockerin and cohesin polypeptides were independently produced by E. coli and their binding properties were specified with BIAcore by measuring surface plasmon resonance. Three pairs of cohesin-dockerin with differing binding specificities were selected. Two of their genes encoding their respective cohesin polypeptides were combined to one gene and expressed in E. coli as a chimeric core protein, on which two dockerin-dehydrogenase chimeras, the dockerin-formaldehyde dehydrogenase and the dockerin-NADH dehydrogenase are planning to bind for catalyzing $CO_2$ reduction to formic acid by feeding NADH. This reaction may represent a novel strategy for the reduction of the green house gases. Enzymes from the anaerobes were also expressed in tobacco and rice plants. The activity of a xylanase from C. stercorarium was detected in leaves, stems, and rice grain under the control of CaMV35S promoter. The digestibility of transgenic rice leaves in goat rumen was slightly accelerated. C. paraputrificum was found to solubilize shrimp shells and chitin to generate hydrogen gas. Hydrogen productivity (1.7 mol $H_2/mol$ glucos) of the organism was improved up to 1.8 times by additional expression of the own hydrogenase gene in C. paraputrficum using a modified vector of Clostridiu, perfringens. The hydrygen producing microflora from soil, garbage and dried pelletted garbage, known as refuse derived fuel(RDF), were also found to be effective in converting biomass waste to hydrogen gas.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.292-297
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• 2010

Anthocyanin, a phenolic compound, is a pigment that shows blue or red color in the fruit, petal and other tissues. It is an important factor in grape berry skin pigment and accumulates only in the skin. This skin-specific accumulation of anthocyanin has been reported to be regulated by the ufgt gene which encodes UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase that participates in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin. The ufgt gene is expressed only in berry skin, while the other genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway are expressed in both skin and flesh tissues. In order to determine whether anthocyanin accumulation is primarily regulated by compartment of UFGT, a ufgt cDNA clone was isolated from grape berry, its open reading frame was ligated in pBI121 vector in either a sense or an antisense orientation under the control of the CaMV35S promoter and the recombinant constructs were incorporated into tobacco plants. Several transgenic lines were selected and characterized to determine the level of expression of the grapevine ufgt transcript and endogenous homologs of tobacco. Compared to the wild-type, the amount of anthocyanins in sense transgenic plants increased by 44%, while the amount of anthocyanins in antisense transgenic plants decreased by 88%. In addition, the color of flowers became intense in the sense transgenic plants. These results suggest that over-expression or repression of the ufgt gene affected the accumulation of anthocyanin in flowers of tobacco.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.174-185
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• 2010

Full-length cDNAs are essential for the correct annotation of genomic sequences and for the functional analysis of genes and their products. To elucidate the functions of a large population of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) genes and to search efficiently for agriculturally useful genes, we have been taking advantage of the full-length cDNA Over-eXpresser (FOX) gene hunting system. With oligo dT column it purify the each mRNA from the flower organs, leaf and stem tissue. And about 120,000 cDNAs from the library were transformed into $\lambda$-pFLCIII-F vector. Of which 115,000 cDNAs from the library were transformed into T-DNA binary vector, pBigs for transformation study. We used normalized full-length cDNA and introduced each cDNA into Arabidopsis by in planta transformation. Full-length Chinese cabbage cDNAs were expressed independently under the CaMV 35S promoter in Arabidopsis. Selfed seeds were harvested from transgenic Arabidopsis. We had selected 2,500 transgenic plants by hygromycin antibiotic tolerant test, and obtained a number of transgenic mutants. Each transgenic Arabidopsis was investigated in morphological changes, fertility and leaf colour. As a result, 285 possible morphological mutants were identified. Introduced cDNA was isolated by PCR amplification of the genomic DNA from the transgenic mutants. Sequencing result and BLAST analysis showed that most of the introduced cDNA were complete cDNAs and functional genes. Also, we examined the effect of Bromelain on enhancing resistance to soft rot in transgenic Chinese cabbage 'Osome'. The bromelain gene identified from FOX hunting system was transformed into Chinese cabbage using Agrobacterium methods. Transformants were screened by PCR, then RT-PCR and real time PCR were performed to analyze gene expression of cysteine protease in the T1 and T2 generations. The anti-bacterial activity of bromelain was tested in Chinese cabbages infected with soft rot bacteria. The results showed that the over-expressed bromelain gene from pineapple conferred enhanced resistance to soft rot in Chinese cabbage.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2014

Salt cress (Thellungiella halophila or Thellungiella parvula), species closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana, represents an extremophile adapted to harsh saline environments. To isolate salt-tolerance genes from this species, we constructed a cDNA library from roots and leaves of salt cress plants treated with 200 mM NaCl. This cDNA library was subsequently shuttled into the destination binary vector [driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter] designed for plant transformation and expression via recombination- assisted cloning. In total, 305,400 pools of transgenic BASTA-resistant lines were generated in Arabidopsis using either T. halophila or T. parvula cDNA libraries. These were used for functional screening of genes involved in salt tolerance. Among these pools, 168,500 pools were used for primary screening to date from which 7,157 lines showed apparent salt tolerant-phenotypes in the initial screen. A secondary screen has now identified 165 salt tolerant transgenic lines using 1,551 (10.6%) lines that emerged in the first screen. The prevalent phenotype in these lines includes accelerated seed germination often accompanied by faster root growth compared to WT Arabidopsis under salt stress condition. In addition, other lines showed non-typical development of stems and flowers compared to WT Arabidopsis. Based on the close relationship of the tolerant species to the target species we suggest this approach as an appropriate method for the large-scale identification of salt tolerance genes from salt cress.