• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.343-349
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Fermentation of dietary fiber results in production of various short chain fatty acids in the colon. In particular, butyrate is reported to regulate the physical and functional integrity of the normal colonic mucosa by altering mucin gene expression or the number of goblet cells. The objective of this study was to investigate whether butyrate modulates mucin secretion in LS174T human colorectal cells, thereby influencing the adhesion of probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains and subsequently inhibiting pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli. In addition, possible signaling pathways involved in mucin gene regulation induced by butyrate treatment were also investigated. MATERIALS/METHODS: Mucin protein content assay and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were performed in LS174T cells treated with butyrate at various concentrations. Effects of butyrate on the ability of probiotics to adhere to LS174T cells and their competition with E. coli strains were examined. Real time polymerase chain reaction for mucin gene expression and Taqman array 96-well fast plate-based pathway analysis were performed on butyrate-treated LS174T cells. RESULTS: Treatment with butyrate resulted in a dose-dependent increase in mucin protein contents in LS174T cells with peak effects at 6 or 9 mM, which was further confirmed by PAS staining. Increase in mucin protein contents resulted in elevated adherence of probiotics, which subsequently reduced the adherent ability of E. coli. Treatment with butyrate also increased transcriptional levels of MUC3, MUC4, and MUC12, which was accompanied by higher gene expressions of signaling kinases and transcription factors involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, butyrate is an effective regulator of modulation of mucin protein production at the transcriptional and translational levels, resulting in changes in the adherence of gut microflora. Butyrate potentially stimulates the MAPK signaling pathway in intestinal cells, which is positively correlated with gut defense.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.231-240
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• 1996

Human blood clotting (coagulation) factor 9 cDNA which codes for 461 amino acid has been cloned by screening human fetal liver cDNA library using PCR. This 1.4 kb cDNA spanning from the ATG initiation codon to the TAA termination codon was cloned into bacterial .expression vector pGEX-2T, generating pGEX-F9 plasmid. The plasmid pGEX-F9 expresses about 73 kDa GST (Glutathione S-transferase)-Factor 9 fusion protein when introduced into E. coli. Western blot analysis using polyclonal antibody raised against human factor 9 confirmed this fusion protein contains factor 9 protein. The level of GST-factor 9 expression was about 20% of total protein and the purification of fusion protein was efficiently achieved by using GST agarose bead based on one step purification protocol.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.129-133
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• 1993

The 44Md plasmid of Bacillus thruingiensis var. kurstaki HD-1(B. t k HD-1) was partially digested with Sau3AI and the fragments were cloned into E. coli HB101 on vector pBR322. Of 2, 950 clones with a recombinant pBR322, only one clone KC1 was determined to have the gene for crystal toxic proteins from the 44Md plasmid of B. t k HD-1 at the BamHI site of pBR322. The recombinant pBR322 was named pKC1 and its molecular size was 12kb. The KC1 produced a protein which was toxic to the silkworm and antigenically similar to the crystal toxic protein of B. t k HD-1. Also, electrophoretic mobility of the KC1 protein was apparently the same as that of the crystal toxic protein of B. t k HD-1.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.280-288
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• 2012

Targeted degradation of proteins through ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is an important control mechanism in various cellular processes. The process of ubiquitin conjugation is achieved by three enzyme complexes, among which the ubiquitin ligase complex (E3) is in charge of substrate specificity. The SCF (SKP1-CUL1-F-box) family portrays the largest and the most characterized member of the E3 ligases. For each SCF complex, the ubiquitination target is recognized by the F-box protein subunit, which interacts with the substrate through a unique C-terminal domain. We have characterized a novel F-box protein CFL-1 that represents a single LRR-type F-box (FBXL) in the Caenorhabditis elegans genome. CFL-1 is highly homologous to FBXL20 and FBXL2 of mammals, which are known to regulate synaptic vesicle release and cell cycle, respectively. A green fluorescence protein (GFP)-reporter gene fused to the cfl-1 promoter showed restricted expression around the amphid and the anus. Modulation of CFL-1 activity by RNAi affected the time interval between defecations. RNAi-treated worms also exhibited reduced tendency to form dauer when exposed to daumone. The potential involvement of CFL-1 in the control of defecation and pheromone response adds to the ever expanding list of cellular processes controlled by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in C. elegans. We suggest that CFL-1, as a single LRR-type F-box protein in C. elegans, may portray a prototype gene exerting diverse functions that are allocated among multiple FBXLs in higher organisms.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2022

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by infection with E. multilocularis metacestode, represents one of the most fatal helminthic diseases. AE is principally manifested with infiltrative, proliferating hepatic mass, resembling primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Sometimes metastatic lesions are found in nearby or remote tissue. AE diagnosis largely depends on imaging studies, but atypical findings of imaging features frequently require differential diagnosis from other hepatic lesions. Serological tests may provide further evidence, while obtaining reliable AE materials is not easy. In this study, alternative antigens, specific to AE were identified by analyzing E. granulosus protoscolex proteins. An immunoblot analysis of E. granulosus protoscolex showed that a group of low-molecular-weight proteins in the range from 14 kDa to 16 kDa exhibited a sensitive and specific immune response to AE patient sera. Partial purification and proteomic analysis indicated that this protein group contained myosin, tubulin polymerization promoting protein, fatty-acid binding protein, uncharacterized DM9, heat shock protein 90 cochaperone tebp P-23, and antigen S. When the serological applicability of recombinant forms of these proteins was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DM9 protein (rEgDM9) showed 90.1% sensitivity (73/81 sera tested) and 94.5% specificity (172/181 sera tested), respectively. rEgDM9 showed weak cross-reactions with patient sera from the transitional and chronic stages of cystic echinococcosis (3 to 5 stages). rEgDM9 would serve as a useful alternative antigen for serodiagnosis of both early- and advanced-stage AE cases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.510-518
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• 2014

Chronic (>24 h) exposure of arsenite, an environmental toxicant, has shown the decreased nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelial cells (EC) by decreasing endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression and/or its phosphorylation at serine 1179 ($eNOS-Ser^{1179}$ in bovine sequence), which is associated with increased risk of vascular diseases. Here, we investigated the acute (<24 h) effect of arsenite on NO production using bovine aortic EC (BAEC). Arsenite acutely increased the phosphorylation of $eNOS-Thr^{497}$, but not of $eNOS-Ser^{116}$ or $eNOS-Ser^{1179}$, which was accompanied by decreased NO production. The level of eNOS expression was unaltered under this condition. Treatment with arsenite also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and pretreatment with a ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) completely reversed the observed effect of arsenite on $eNOS-Thr^{497}$ phosphorylation. Although protein kinase C (PKC) and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) were reported to be involved in $eNOS-Thr^{497}$ phosphorylation, treatment with PKC inhibitor, Ro318425, and overexpression of various PKC isoforms did not affect the arsenite-stimulated $eNOS-Thr^{497}$ phosphorylation. In contrast, treatment with PP1 inhibitor, calyculin A, mimicked the observed effect of arsenite on $eNOS-Thr^{497}$ phosphorylation. Lastly, we found decreased cellular PP1 activity in arsenite-treated cells, which was reversed by NAC. Overall, our study demonstrates firstly that arsenite acutely decreases NO production at least in part by increasing $eNOS-Thr^{497}$ phosphorylation via ROS-PP1 signaling pathway, which provide the molecular mechanism underlying arsenite-induced increase in vascular disease.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 1992

In order to overexpress bacteriophage PRD1 DNA polymerase in E. coli cells, the 2 kb HaeII fragment was isolated from phage genomic DNA. This fragment was then cloned into pEMBL/sup ex/ 3-expression vector. A specific 57bp deletion was performed by using uracil containing ss DNA and oligonucleotide spanning each region to remove an unwanted non-coding region. After this deletion, the PRD1 DNA polymerase gene is totally under the control of the vector promoter and SD sequence. Upon heat induction, a protein with an apparent size of 68 kdal was overexpressed as an active PRD1 DNA polymerase. The expression of PRD1 DNA polymerase was about 1% of total E. coli protein.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.232-234
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• 2002

Bacillus cereus secretes a nonspecific phospholipase C (PLC) that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospholipids to yield diacylglycerol and a phosphate monoester. This study focuses on the production of PLC by B. cereus and recombinant E. coli with fusion protein gene (plc::gfp). Fermentation processes have been monitored by a 2-dimensional fluorescence sensor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.19-19
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• 2001

The genome sequencing has revealed a large number of proteins of unknown or little characterized functions that have been well conserved during evolution. It remains a great challenge to decipher the molecular and physiological functions of these proteins. One example of the evolutionarily conserved protein family with little understood function is the surE family.(omitted)

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.27-29
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• 1995

Site directed mutagenesis has been introduced to determine active site(s) and molecular structure of E. coli RecA protein. Recombinant DNAs were constructed by point mutation of Tyr-264 to Phe which assumed active site for binding and hydrolysis of ATP. RecA proteins were purified from recombinants containing wild type and mutant genes and analyzed for ATPase activity assay. Result suggests that Tyr-264 is involved in ATP binding rather than ATP hydrolysis.