• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.310-314
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• 1998

DW-116 is a new fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent with a broad spectrum. In order to elucidate the resistance mechanism to DW-116 in Acinetobacter spp. bacteria, total chromosomal DNA was isolated from 10 strains of Acinetobacter spp. resistant to DW-116. Quinolone resistance determinant region (QRDR) of DNA gyrase gene was amplified by PCR. The 345 bp nucleotide fragment yielded was inserted into pKF 3 which was used as the vector. Comparisons of the DNA sequences of 8 strains with that of the wild type strain revealed a Ser-83 to Leu mutation in mutants and all ten strains contained one silent mutation$(T{\rightarrow}G)$in QRDR. From Acinetobacter MB4-8 strain, DNA gyrase was isolated and purified, through novobiocin-sepharose, heparin-sepharose affinity column chromatography. The enzyme was composed of two subunits and the molecular mass of subunits A and B were 75.6 and 51.9 kDa, respectively. The supercoiling activity of the reconstituted DNA gyrase composed of subunit A from Acinetobacter MB4-8 and subunit B from E. coli was not inhibited by $128{\mu}\textrm{g}$ml of ciprofloxacin. It might be said that one of the resistance mechanisms to DW-116 in Acinetohacter MB4-8 was subunit A alteration of DNA gyrase.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.484-489
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• 2005

Streptococcus pmeumoniae is the leading cause of pneumonia and bacterial meningitis. The current polysaccharide vaccine has been reported ineffective in elderly adults and children less than 2 years of age. Thus, in recent many researchers have been focused on a different approach, DNA vaccine. In our laboratory we developed a Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA (SPDNA) vaccine. This SPDNA vaccine was formulated by inserting the region encoding part of the capsule in the S. pneumoniae into the LAMP-1. In present work, with use of the SPDNA vaccine we attempted to establish a certain methodology useful for evaluation of effectiveness and immunoresponse of a DNA vaccine. Results showed that the subcutaneous route was the most effective for production of antisera specific for S. pneumoniae in mice. By isotyping analyses, IgM, IgGl, IgG2a, and IgG2b were determined. In addition, INF-$\gamma$ and IL-4 were predominantly detected. Combination of those data resulted in a pattern of IgGl < IgG2a=IgG2b and INF$\gamma\>$ >IL-4, which indicates the inmmunity towards the Thl response predominantly; furthermore, the SPDNA vaccination induced resistance of the CD4+T lymphocyte-depleted mice against disseminated pneumococcal infection. These data appear to be possibly due to activation of CDS8+T cell-activation. Taken together, this methodology can be applied for evaluating efficacy and mode of action of a DNA vaccine as minimum critera.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.498-502
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• 1998

HBV polymerase shares several regions of amino acid homology with other DNA-directed and RNA-directed polymerases. The amino acid residues $Asp^{429}$, $Gly^{518}$, $Asp^{551}$, $Lys^{585}$, and $Gly^{641}$ in the conserved motifs A, B', C, D, and E in the polymerase domain of HBV polymerase were mutated to alanine or histidine by in vitro site-directed mutagenesis. Those mutants were overexpressed, purified, and analyzed against DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity and affinity for DNA binding. All those mutants did not show DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities indicating that those five amino acid residues are all critical in DNA polymerase activity. South-Western analysis shows that amino acid residues $ASp^{429}$ and $ASp^{551}$ are essential to DNA binding, and $Gly^{318}$ and $Gly^{585}$ also affect DNA binding to a certain extent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.331-335
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• 1996

The second $\beta$-Xylosidase gene (xylB) from Bacillus stearothermophilus was isolated from the genomic library, cloned into pBR322, and subsequently transferred into Escherichia coli HB101. Six out of 10, 000 transformants were selected from the selective LB medium supplemented with p-nitrophenyl-$\alpha$-L-arabinofuranoside (pNPAf) and ampicillin ($50\mu g$/ml) based on their ability to form a yellow ring around the colony. One of the clones was found to harbor the recombinant plasmid with 5.0 kb foreign DNA, which was identical to the $\alpha$-L-arabinofuranosidase gene (arfI) previously cloned in this lab, while the other five had 3.5 kb of the foreign DNA. Southern blotting experiments confirmed that the 3.5 kb insert DNA was from B. stearothermophilus chromosomal DNA. A zymogram with 4-methylumbelliferyl-$\alpha$-L-arabinofuranoside as the enzyme substrate revealed that the cloned gene product was one of the mutiple $\alpha$-L-arabinofuranosidases produced by B. stearothermophilus. Unlike the arfI gene product, the product of the gene on the insert DNA (xylB) showed an activity not only on pNPAf but also on oNPX suggesting that the cloned gene product could be a bifunctional enzyme having both $\alpha$-L-arabinofuranosidase and $\beta$-xylosidase activities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.4199-4202
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• 2015

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the major world health problems. Epigallocatechin-3 gallate is the major component of the polyphenolic fraction of green tea and it has an anti-viral, anti-mutagenic, anti-tumorigenic, anti-angiogenic, anti-proliferative, and/or pro-apoptotic effects on mammalian cells. In this study, our aim was to investigate the inhibition of HBV replication by epigallocatechin-3 gallate in the Hep3B2.1-7 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Materials and Methods: HBV-replicating Hep3B2.1-7 cells were used to investigate the preventive effects of epigallocatechin-3 gallate on HBV DNA replication. The expression levels of HBsAg and HBeAg were determined using ELISA. Quantitative real-time-PCR was applied for the determination of the expression level of HBV DNA. Results: Cytotoxicity of epigallocathechin-3-gallate was not observed in the hepatic carcinoma cell line when the dose was lower than $100{\mu}M$. The ELISA method demonstrated that epigallocatechin-3 gallate have strong effects on HBsAg and HBeAg levels. Also it was detected by real-time PCR that epigallocatechin-3 gallate could prevent HBV DNA replication. Conclusions: The obtained data pointed out that although the exact mechanism of HBV DNA replication and related diseases remains unclear, epigallocatechin-3 gallate has a potential as an effective anti-HBV agent with low toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1964

Yung Nok Lee (Dept. of Biology, Korea University) : Studies on the phosphate metabolism in Chlorella, with special reference to polyphosphate. Kor. J. Microbiol., Vol.2, No.1, p1-11 (1964). 1. Uniformly $^{32}P$-labeled Chlorella cells which were irradiated with Cobalt-60 gamma-rays of about 70, 000 $\gamma$ dose, were further grown in a standard "cold" medium ("hot".rarw."cold"), and some portions of the algae were taken out at the begining of, and at intervals during the culture, and subjected to analyze the contents of $^{32}P$- and total P in various fractions of the cell materials. Results obtained were compared with those of nonirradiated normal cells. 2. Amounts of phosphate in various fractions of the nonirradiated normal Chlorella cells were measured using uniformly $^{32}P$--labeled cells. Analysis of the $^{32}P$--labeled algal cells showed that the highest value in P-content was the fraction of RNA followed by those of lipid, polyphosphate "C" polyphosphate "B", DNA, nucleotidic labile phosphate compounds, polyphosphate "A" and protein. It was observed that content of total polyphosphates in a single Chlorella cell was almost equal to RNA-P content in the cell, and the amount of RNA-P was almost equal to ten times of DNA-P content. 3. When the $^{32}P$--labeled algae which were irradiated with gamma-rays were grown in a normal "cold" medium, phosphate contents in the fraction of DNA, nucleotidic labile phosphate compounds and protein decreased markedly, while the contents of phosphate in the fractions of polyphosphate "C" and potyphosphate "B" increased in comparison with those of unirradiated normal cells. So, it was considered that the pretreatment of above mentioned dose of gamma-ray inhibited DNA and protein synthesis from polyphosphate in Chlorella cells. 4. Proceeding the culture of $^{32}P$--labeled Chlorella in a "cold" standard medium, whose synthetic activity of DNA and protein from polyphosphate was disturded by gamma-ray irradiation, the amounts of $^{32}P$-in the fraction of polyphosphate "C" increased, in contrast with those of polyphosphate "B" fraction. According to these experimental results, it was inferred that polyphosphate "B" could transform into polyphosphate "C" in normal growing Chlorella cells.sults, it was inferred that polyphosphate "B" could transform into polyphosphate "C" in normal growing Chlorella cells.ing Chlorella cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.259-264
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• 1993

Three cell lines, CHO, L929 and B16 which are non-tumorigenic and cancer cells, respectively, were first tested for their survival in the presence of radioprotective ginseng protein fraction(GPF0. The influence of three radioprotectors-CPF, cysteamine, and 1-Methyl-2-bis[(2-methylthio)vinyl] quinolinium iodide (MVQI) on DNA repair capacity of UV damaged cells survival test, the GPF showed higher cytotoxicity in L929 and B16 than in CHO cells. However, the degree of cell killing was also investigated by measuring $^3H$-thymidine incorporation of PUVA treated cells. In cell survival test, the GPF showed higher cytotoxicity in L929 and B16 than in CHO cells. However, the degree of cell killing was not high enough to consider it as an antitumorigenic agent. Variable results were obtained in the effects on DNA repair capacity depending on the protectors and cell lines used. In pretreatment, the presence of GPF and MVOI brought about a sinificant increase in the capacity in both CHO and B16 cells. However, in L929, the enhancing effect was not shown. In all three cell lines, cysteamine showed lower repair capacity than control, suggesting the primary damage reduction in stronger enhancing effects in L929 and B16 cells, while it was weaker in CHO cells. Here also cystemine hsowed a very little or no increase in the capacity in all three cell lines. These results demonstrate that GPF has mild cytotoxicity in tumorignic cells and that GPF and MVQI enhance DNA repair capacity of UV damaged cells, whether they are tumorigenic or not. On the other hand, cysteamine shows only damage reduction effect. Celles of different genetic origin seem to give different responses to the modifier and different modifiers may possibly work by different mechanisms.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.209-212
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• 1999

For the classification of B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed. PCR was carried out with B. burgdorferi sensu lato specific primer set (BB uni set), and amplicons of 470-bp DNA were digested with Alu 1. The Alu I restriction polymorphism of the amplicons provided a useful tool for identifying B. burgdorferi sensu late strains. Both amplicons from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. garinii except HPI strain showed identical RFLP pattern (50 bp, 70 bp, and 150 bp), but amplicons from B. afzelii and B. garinii showed two types of subgroups, respectively. The result of PCR-RFLP using extracted DNAs from ticks was similar to those patterns of B. burgdorferi species including B. afzelii.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 1998

To investigate the distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent in ticks, adult ixodid ticks of Ixodes spp. and Haemaphysalis spp. were collected from the high mountain areas of Kangwon Province. Using DNAs extracted and purified in the collected ticks, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the specific nucleotide sequences of both agents. Of the 516 ticks, a total of 68 (13.2%) ticks was positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato with PCR analysis (2 for B. burgdorferi sensu stricto； 1 for B. afzelii；33 for B. garinii； 8 for B. tanukii；4 for B. turdae). However a little more than half of PCR-positive ticks (37/68) was found to be positive in the southern blot analysis with Bl6S oligonucleotide probe. One hundred and one (19.2%) ticks were positive for Ehrlichia spp. in PCR, and a quarter of them (25/101) was positive in southern blot with El6S oligonucleotide probe. But none of them was found to be the DNA of HGE agent. And 0.6% (3/516) ticks were positive for both of B. burgdorferi sensu late and Ehrlirhia spp. These findings might implicate the possibility of the outbreak of Iyme borreliosis and ehrlichiosis in Korea, and more extensive studies may be need for the diagnosis of multiple tick-borne diseases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.42-42
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• 2003

The wild silkworm, Bombyx mandarina, was believed the only ancestor of B. mori, inhabits the limited area of Eastern Asia including China, Korea and Japan. However, the geographic dimorphism of B. mandarina was reported with chromosome number and arylphorin gene. In connection with those dimorphism, we studied the genetic differences of ITS-2 region in rDNA purposing the differentiation and geographic variation within the species of B. mandarina. (omitted)