• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.645-651
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• 2018

The carcinogenicity of chemicals in the environment is a major concern. Recently, numerous studies have attempted to develop methods for predicting carcinogenicity, including rodent and cell-based approaches. However, rodent carcinogenicity tests for evaluating the carcinogenic potential of a chemical to humans are time-consuming and costly. This study focused on the development of an alternative method for predicting carcinogenicity using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and colon cancer stem cells. A toxicogenomic method, mRNA profiling, is useful for predicting carcinogenicity. Using microarray analysis, we optimized 16 predictive gene sets from five carcinogens (azoxymethane, 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl, N-ethyl-n-nitrosourea, metronidazole, 4-(n-methyl-n-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) used to treat colon cancer stem cell samples. The 16 genes were evaluated by qPCR using 23 positive and negative carcinogens in colon cancer stem cells. Among them, six genes could differentiate between positive and negative carcinogens with a p-value of ${\leq}0.05$. Our qPCR-based prediction system for colon carcinogenesis using colon cancer stem cells is cost- and time-efficient. Thus, this qPCR-based prediction system is an alternative to in vivo carcinogenicity screening assays.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.301-310
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• 2010

Bacillus subtilis strains produce a broad spectrum of bioactive peptides. The lipopeptide surfactin belongs to one well-known class, which includes amphiphilic membrane-active biosurfactants and peptide antibiotics. Both the srfA promoter and the ComP-ComA signal transduction system are an important part of the factor that results in the production of surfactin. Bs-M49, obtained by means of low-energy ion implantation in wild-type Bs-916, produced significantly lower levels of surfactin, and had no obvious effects against R. solani. Occasionally, we found strain Bs-M49 decreased spore formation and the development of competence. Blast comparison of the sequences from Bs-916 and M49 indicate that there is no difference in the srfA operon promoter PsrfA, but there are differences in the coding sequence of the comA gene. These differences result in three missense mutations within the M49 ComA protein. RT-PCR analyses results showed that the expression levels of selected genes involved in competence and sporulation in both the wild-type Bs-916 and mutant M49 strains were significantly different. When we integrated the comA ORF into the chromosome of M49 at the amyE locus, M49 restored hemolytic activity and antifungal activity. Then, HPLC analyses results also showed the comA-complemented strain had a similar ability to produce surf actin with wild-type strain Bs-916. These data suggested that the mutation of three key amino acids in ComA greatly affected the biological activity of Bacillus subtilis. ComA protein 3D structure prediction and motif search prediction indicated that ComA has two obvious motifs common to response regulator proteins, which are the N-terminal response regulator receiver motif and the C-terminal helix-turn-helix motif. The three residues in the ComA N-terminal portion may be involved in phosphorylation activation mechanism. These structural prediction results implicate that three mutated residues in the ComA protein may play an important role in the formation of a salt-bridge to the phosphoryl group keeping active conformation to subsequent regulation of the expression of downstream genes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2011

As a number of archaea are ubiquitously found in non-extreme habitats, elucidation of their functional roles becomes currently an emerging issue. However, most of them are unable to grow in pure culture and so it remains to be established. In order to find genes lacking in the genome of an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon (AOA), we here report on the comparative analyses of an AOA genome with those of experimentally or theoretically established minimal genomes for independent growth. We assessed the genes lacking in AOA using logic of clusters of orthologous groups (COG), remote homology, consensus sequence weight matrix, function-based motif or domain, and then further excluded genes encoding hypothetical orarchaea-specific proteins. The results of these combination analyses revealed 19 candidate genes lacking in the genome of an AOA. Thus, our results provide a possibility of inducing independent growth of AOA when supplemented with product (s) of the lacking gene (s), and also give a chance for finding new proteins with novel sequence or structure space even if the predicted lacking-genes will be found using another algorithms or biochemical studies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.210-219
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• 2003

오페론(operon)은 보통 미생물에서 다수의 인접한 유전자들로 구성된 그룹으로 하나의 유전자처럼 공통된 프로모터에 의해 전사되는 단위이다. 오페론을 구성하는 유전자들은 기능적으로 서로 유사하거나 같은 물질대사경로(metabolic pathway) 상에 존재하는 특징을 지니기 때문에 이들은 중요한 의미를 가지며, 미생물 유전체 분석에서 오페론을 구성하는 유전자들을 예측하는 것은 상당히 중요하다. 오페론을 예측하는 이전 연구들로는 이미 알려진 오페론의 특징인 유전자간 거리나 오페론을 구성하는 평균 유전자 개수 등을 이용하는 방법, 마이크로어레이 발현 실험을 이용한 방법, 전유전체(whole genome)들 간의 보존된 유전자 집합(conserved gene cluster)을 이용한 방법 그리고 물질대사경로를 이용한 방법 등이 있다. 본 논문에서는 COG 기능(function) 거리, 유전자 간의 거리, 코돈 사용빈도(codon usage) 그리고COG 기능 거리와 유전자간 거리를 같이 적용한 방법을 이용하여 오페론 예측을 위한 전처리 모델을 생성하였다 전처리 모델을 E. coli 전유전체에 적용해본 결과, 알려진 오페론들의 약 90%가 이를 포함하였다. 따라서 본 논문에서 제시한 전처리 모델은, 추후 오페론 예측을 위한 좋은 도구로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2283-2287
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• 2015

In order to explore the association between RASSF1A methylation and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk of Chinese, we carried out a meta-analysis with searches of PubMed, Web of Science, ProQest and Medline databases. Ultimately, 14 articles were identified and analysised using R Software (R version 3.1.2) including meta packages. Overall, we found a significant relationship between RASSF1A methylation and NPC risk (OR 30.7; 95 % CI, 16.71~56.23; z=11.0591; p<0.0001) in a fixed effects model and (OR 32.1; 95% CI, 14.27~72.01; z=8.3984; p<0.0001) in a random effects model pooled. In tissue and NP brushings groups, similar results were found. Hence, our study identified a strong association between RASSF1A methylation and NPC and highlighted a promising potential for RASSF1A methylation in NPC risk prediction of Chinese.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.129-135
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• 2013

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In advanced and metastatic gastric cancer, the conventional chemotherapy with limited efficacy shows an overall survival period of about 10 months. Patient specific and effective treatments known as personalized cancer therapy is of significant importance. Advances in high-throughput technologies such as microarray and next generation sequencing for genes, protein expression profiles and oncogenic signaling pathways have reinforced the discovery of treatment targets and personalized treatments. However, there are numerous challenges from cancer target discoveries to practical clinical benefits. Although there is a flood of biomarkers and target agents, only a minority of patients are tested and treated accordingly. Numerous molecular target agents have been under investigation for gastric cancer. Currently, targets for gastric cancer include the epidermal growth factor receptor family, mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor axis, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT-mammalian target of rapamycin pathways. Deeper insights of molecular characteristics for gastric cancer has enabled the molecular classification of gastric cancer, the diagnosis of gastric cancer, the prediction of prognosis, the recognition of gastric cancer driver genes, and the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. Not only have we deeper insights for the molecular diversity of gastric cancer, but we have also prospected both affirmative potentials and hurdles to molecular diagnostics. New paradigm of transdisciplinary team science, which is composed of innovative explorations and clinical investigations of oncologists, geneticists, pathologists, biologists, and bio-informaticians, is mandatory to recognize personalized target therapy.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2005

TRPV2 is a non-specific cation channel expressed in sensory neurons, and activated by noxious heat. Particularly, TRPV2 has six transmembrane domains and three ankyrin repeats. TRPV2 has been cloned from various species such as human, rat, and mouse. Oocytes of Xenopus laevis - an African clawed frog ­have been widely used for decades in characterization of various receptors and ion channels. The functional property of rat TRPV2 was also identified by this oocyte expression system. However, no TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus laevis has been reported so far. Hence, we have focused to clone a TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus laevis with the aid of bioinformatic tools. Because the genome sequence of Xenopus laevis is not available until now, a genome sequence of Xenopus tropicalis - a close relative species of Xenopus laevis - was used. After a number of bioinformatic searches in silico, a predicted full-length sequence of TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus tropicalis was found. Based on this predicted sequence, various approaches such as RT-PCR and 5' -RACE technique were applied to clone a full length of Xenopus laevis TRV2. Consequently, a full-length Xenopus laevis TRPV2 was cloned from heart cDNA.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.39-49
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• 2004

When there is a lack of detailed kinetic information, dFBA(dynamic flux balance analysis) has correctly predicted cellular behavior under given environmental conditions with FBA and different ial equations. However, until now, dFBA has centered on substrate concentration, cell growth, and gene on/off, but a detailed hierarchical structure of a regulatory network has not been taken into account. For this reason, the dFBA has limited the represen tation of interactions between specific regulatory proteins and genes and the whole transcriptional regulation mechanism with environmental change. Moreover, to calculate optimal metabolic flux distribution which maximizes the growth flux and predict the b ehavior of cell system, linear programming package(LINDO) and spreadsheet package(EXCEL) have been used simultaneously. thses two software package have limited in the visual representation of simulation results and it can be difficult for a user to look at the effects of changing inputs to the models. Here, we descirbes the construction of hierarchical regulatory network with defined symbolsand the development of an integrated system that can predict the total control mechanism of regulatory elements (opero ns, genes, effectors, etc.), substrate concentration, growth rate, and optimal flux distribution with time. All programming procedures were accoplished in a visual programming environment (LabVIEW).

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.327-345
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• 2014

This paper presents the application of multi-gene genetic programming (MGP) technique for modeling the bond strength of ribbed steel bars in concrete. In this regard, the experimental data of 264 splice beam tests from different technical papers were used for training, validating and testing the model. Seven basic parameters affecting on the bond strength of steel bars were selected as input parameters. These parameters are diameter, relative rib area and yield strength of steel bar, minimum concrete cover to bar diameter ratio, splice length to bar diameter ratio, concrete compressive strength and transverse reinforcement index. The results show that the proposed MGP model can be alternative approach for predicting the bond strength of ribbed steel bars in concrete. Moreover, the performance of the developed model was compared with the building codes' empirical equations for a complete comparison. The study concludes that the proposed MGP model predicts the bond strength of ribbed steel bars better than the existing building codes' equations. Using the proposed MGP model and building codes' equations, a parametric study was also conducted to investigate the trend of the input variables on the bond strength of ribbed steel bars in concrete.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6187-6190
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• 2012

We aimed to investigate DNA repair gene expression of response to chemotherapy among gastric patients, and roles in the prognosis of gastric cancer. A total of 209 gastric cancer patients were included in this study between January 2007 and December 2008, all treated with chemotherapy. Polymorphisms were detected by real time PCR with TaqMan probes, and genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. The overall response rate was 61.2%. The median progression and overall survivals were 8.5 and 18.7 months, respectively. A significant increased treatment response was found among patients with XPG C/T+T/T or XRCC1 399G/A+A/A genotypes, with the OR (95% CI) of 2.14 (1.15-4.01) and 1.75 (1.04-3.35) respectively. We found XPG C/T+T/T and XRCC1 399 G/A+A/A were associated with a longer survival among gastric cancer patients when compared with their wide type genotypes, with HRs and 95% CIs of 0.49 (0.27-0.89) and 0.56 (0.29-0.98) respectively. Selecting specific chemotherapy based on pretreatment genotyping may be an innovative strategy for further studies.