• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1002-1008
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• 2007

PreS domain of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen is a good candidate for an effective vaccine as it activates both B and T cells besides binding to hepatocytes. This report deals with overexpression and purification of adr subtype of surface antigen that is more prevalent in Pakistan. PreS region, comprising 119 aa preS1 region plus a 55 aa preS2 region plus 11 aa from the N-terminal S region, was inserted in pET21a+ vector, cloned in E. coli $DH5\alpha$ cells and expressed in E. coli BL21 codon+ cells. The conditions for over expression were optimized using different concentrations of IPTG (0.01-5 mM), and incubating the cells at different temperatures (23-$41^{\circ}C$) for different durations (0-6 h). The cells were grown under the given optimized conditions (0.5 mM IPTG concentration at $37^{\circ}C$ for 4 h), lysed by sonication and the protein was purified by ion exchange chromatography. On the average, 24.5 mg of recombinant protein was purified per liter of culture. The purified protein was later lyophilized and stored at $-80^{\circ}C$.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.249-257
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• 2002

Cytochrome P450 3As such as 3A4 and 3A5 metabolize a wide range of pharmaceutical compounds. The vectors for the expression of fusion protein containing an N-terminal human P450 3A4 or P450 3A5 sequences and a C-terminal rat NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase moiety were constructed. These plasmids were used to express the fusion protein in Escherichia coli DH5$\alpha$ cells. High levels of expression were achieved (100~200 nmol/liter) and the expressed fusion protein in E. coli membranes were catalytically active for nifedipine oxidation, a typical enzymatic activity of P450 3A4. The NADPH-P450 reductase activities of these fusion protein were also determined by measuring reduction of cytochrome c. To fine a specific Inhibitor of P450 3A4 from naturally occurring chemicals, a series of isothiocyanate compounds were evaluated for the inhibitory activity of P450 using the fusion proteins in E. coli membranes. Of the five isothiocyanates (phenethyl isothiocyanate, phenyl isothiocyanate, benzol isothiocyanate, benzoyl isothiocyanate and cyclohexyl isothiocyanate) tested, benzoyl isothiocyanate showed a strong inhibition of P450 3A4 with an $IC_{50}$value of 2.8 $\mu\textrm{M}$. Our results indicate that the self-sufficient fusion protein will be very useful tool to study the drug metabolism and benzyl isothiocyanate may be valuable for characterizing the enzymatic properties of P450 3A4.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.141-145
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• 2001

Isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) is the common, five-carbon building block in the biosynthesis of all carotenoids. IPP in Escherichia coli is synthesized through the non-mevalonate pathway. The first reaction of IPP biosynthesis in E. coli is the formation of l-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP), catalyzed by DXP synthase and encoded by dxs. The second reaction in the pathway is the reduction of DXP to 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate, catalyzed by DXP reductoisomerase and encoded by dxr. To determine if one or more of the reactions in the non-mevalonate pathway controlled flux to IPP, dxs and dxr were placed on several expression vectors under the control of three different promoters and transformed into three E. coli strains (DH5$\alpha$, XL1-Blue, and JMl0l) that had been engineered to produce lycopene. Lycopene production was improved significantly in strains transformed with the dxs expression vectors. When the dxs gene was expressed from the arabinose-inducible araBAD promoter ( $P_{BAD}$) on a medium-copy plasmid, lycopene production was 2-fold higher than when dxs was expressed from the IPTG-inducible trc and lac promoters ( $P_{trc}$ and $P_{lac}$, respectively) on medium-copy and high-copy plasmids. Given the low final densities of cells expressing dxs from IPTG-inducible promoters, the low lycopene production was probably due to the metabolic burden of plasmid maintenance and an excessive drain of central metabolic intermediates. At arabinose concentrations between 0 and 1.33 roM, cells expressing both dxs and dxr from $P_{BAD}$ on a medium-copy plasmid produced 1.4 - 2.0 times more lycopene than cells expressing dxs only. However, at higher arabinose concentrations lycopene . production in cells expressing both dxs and dxr was lower than in cells expressing dxs only. A comparison of the three E. coli strains transformed with the arabinose-inducible dxs on a medium-copy plasmid revealed that lycopene production was highest in XLI-Blue.LI-Blue.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.188-199
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• 2002

A gene coding for xylanase from thermo-tolerant Bacillus pumilus TX703 was cloned into Escherichia coli DH5 $\alpha$ using pUC19. Among 7,400 transformants, four transformants showed clear zones on the detection agar plates containing oat-spells xylan. One of them which showed highest xylanase activity was selected and its recombinant plasmid, named pXES106, was found to carry 2.24 kb insert DNA fragment. When the nucleotide sequence of the cloned xylanase gene (xynK) was determined, xynK gene was found to consist of 1,227 base-pair open reading frame coding for a polypeptide of 409 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 48 kDa. The coding sequence was preceded by a putative ribosome binding site, the transcription initiation signals, and cia-acting catabolite responsive element. The deduced amino acids sequence of xylanase is similar to those of the xylanases from Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Clostridium thermocellum, with 39 and 31% identical residues, respectively. The amino acids sequence of this xylanase was quite different from those of the xylanases from other Bacillus species.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.269-274
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to compare CT (disinfectant concentration * time) values in removing the antibiotic resistance bacteria, antibiotic resistance gene and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. Different concentration of chlorine(C) and contact time(T) according to the removal of antibiotic resistance was calculated for each. As a result, for the 90% removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria, around 176~353 mg min/L CT values are needed. For the removal of the antibiotic resistance gene, 195~372 mg min/L CT values are required. For the 90% reduction of antibiotic resistance gene transfer by chlorine disinfection, 187~489 mg min/L CT values are needed. Based on our results, higher CT value was required for removing antibiotic resistant genes rather than antibiotic resistance bacteria.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.727-730
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• 2001

Various recombinant deletion mutants were constructed from cycloinulo - oligosaccharide fructanotransferase(CFTase) gene of Xanthomonas oryzae #5 . The mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli DH5${\alpha}$. We were able to obtain three recombinant proteins were purified, and examine their CFTase and hydrolyzing activity. N-terminal deletion mutant had both CFTase activity and hydrolyzing activity. however, in C-terminal and N,C-terminal deletion mutant disappeared CFTase activity, but hydrolyzing activity remained. From there results, it seems that the C-terminal region(amino acid $1173{\sim}1333$) is important for cyclization.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2005

A new lactococcal shuttle/expression vector for lactococci, pWgal13T, was constructed using a $\beta$-galactosi-dase gene (lacZ) from Lacfococcus lactis ssp. lactis ATCC 7962 as a screening marker. The pWgal 13T was introduced into Escherichia coli DH5a and L. lactis MG1363, and was easily detected by the formation of blue colonies on a medium containing X-gal without any false transformants. Also, the quantitatively lacZ activity of pWgal13T was measured in L. lactis ssp. cremoris MG1363, and was found to be four times higher than that of L. lactis ssp. lactis ATCC7962 grown on a medium containing glucose, which shows that the lacZ gene of pWgal13T can be used for the efficient screening of L. lactis on general media. The pWgal13T was equipped with a lactococcal replicon of pWV01 from L. lactis Wg2, the new promoter P13C from L. lactis ssp. cremoris LM0230, multiple cloning sites, and a terminator for the expression of a relevant gene. The vee-tor pWgal13T was used for the expression of the EGFP gene in E. coli and L. lactis. These results show that the lactococcal expression/shuttle vector constructed in the present study can be used for the production of foreign proteins in E. coli and L. lactis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.598-602
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• 2002

Damage to cells exposed to radiation is primarily attributed to direct effects on the structure of cellular DNA. Radiation-induced damage of pBluescript SK plasmid DNA and Escherichia coli $DH5\alpha$ were examined in the presence of various branched oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and/or 8-MOP (8-methoxypsoralen). Branched oligosaccharides efficiently protected DNA and cells exposed to ultrasoft X-ray and UV irradiation. In the presence of 0.2% (w/v) branched oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, DNA can be protected from damage due to W and ultrasoft X-ray by a factor of 1.3-2.1 fo1d and 3.2-8.3 fold, respectively. The protective effect of cells exposed to UV or ultrasoft X-ray was also observed by branched oligosaccharides. The combination of MOP, a photoreagent, with carbohydrates increased the protective effects for DNA and cells, compared with that of a single use of MOP or carbohydrate alone.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.179-184
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• 2014

Mitigation of heavy metal toxicity by iron containing superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) of Streptomyces subrutilus P5 was investigated. For E. coli $DH5{\alpha}$, the survival rate in the presence of 0.1 mM lead ions was only 7% after 120 min; however, with the addition of $0.1{\mu}M$ of purified native FeSOD the survival rate increased to 39%. This detoxification effect was also shown with 0.01 mM copper ions (survival increased from 6% to 50%), and the effect was stronger than with the use of EDTA. E. coli M15[pREP4] producing 6xHis-tagged FeSOD was constructed, and this showed an increase in survival rates throughout the incubation time; in the presence of 0.1 mM lead ions,the final increase at 60 min was from 3% to 19%. The FeSOD absorbed about 123 g-atom lead per subunit; therefore, we suggest that FeSOD could sequestrate toxic heavy metals to enhance bacterial survival against heavy metal contamination.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1408-1414
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• 2009

The obtention of high yields of purified plasmid DNA is viewed as an essential issue to be considered towards efficient production of DNA vaccines and therapeutic plasmids. In this work, Escherichia coli $DH5\alpha$. bearing the pVAXI-LacZ plasmid was grown in a developed semi-defined medium at different temperatures and tryptone concentrations. Analysis of pDNA yields and E. coli morphology revealed that at higher temperatures (37 and $40^{\circ}C$), higher specific yields and E. coli filamentation were obtained. However, the best results were achieved when a lower tryptone concentration was used. This approach was shown to be a powerful tool to promote plasmid amplification, keeping the desirable plasmid structure, and favoring the attainment of quality. Our results suggest that by using tryptone alone as an amino acid source, pDNA amplification was improved and a specific yield of 20.43 mg pDNA/g dcw was achieved, proving that this strategy can improve pDNA yield even at a small scale.