• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.144-151
• /
• 2014

Increasing the gene copy number has been commonly used to enhance the protein expression level in the yeast Pichia pastoris. However, this method has been shown to be effective up to a certain gene copy number, and a further increase of gene dosage can result in a decrease of expression level. Evidences indicate the gene dosage effect is product-dependent, which needs to be determined when expressing a new protein. Here, we describe a direct detection of the gene dosage effect on protein secretion through expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene under the direction of the ${\alpha}$-factor preprosequence in a panel of yeast clones carrying increasing copies of the EGFP gene (from one to six copies). Directly examined under fluorescence microscopy, we found relatively lower levels of EGFP were secreted into the culture medium at one copy and two copies, substantial improvement of secretion appeared at three copies, plateau happened at four and five copies, and an apparent decrease of secretion happened at six copies. The secretion of EGFP being limiting at four and five copies was due to abundant intracellular accumulation of proteins, observed from the fluorescence image of yeast and confirmed by western blotting, which significantly activated the unfolded protein response indicated by the up-regulation of the BiP (the KAR2 gene product) and the protein disulfide isomerase. This study implies that tagging a reporter like GFP to a specific protein would facilitate a direct and rapid determination of the optimal gene copy number for high-yield expression.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.146-154
• /
• 2009

Multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is a PCR-based method to detect gene dosage. Since its introduction, MLPA has been used to test a large number of genes for major deletions or duplications. Genetic testing, as a diagnostic tool for genetic disease, has been used primarily to identify point mutations, including base substitutions and small insertions/deletions, using PCR and sequence analysis. However, it is difficult to identify large deletions or duplications using routine PCR- gel based assays, especially in heterozygotes. The MLPA is a more feasible method for identification of gene dosage than another routine PCR-based methods, and better able to detect deleterious deletions or duplications. In addition to detection of gene dosage, MLPA can be applied to identify methylation patterns of target genes, aneuploidy during prenatal diagnoses, and large deletions or duplications that may be associated with various cancers. The MLPA method offers numerous advantages, as it requires only a small amount of template DNA, is applicable to a wide variety of applications, and is high-throughput. On the other hand, this method suffers from disadvantages including the possibility of false positive results affected by template DNA quality, difficulties identifying SNPs located in probe sequences, and analytical complications in quantitative aspects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.1125-1129
• /
• 2005

Cloning of a 6.6-kb BamHI digested chromosomal DNA from S. griseus IFO13350 revealed the presence of an additional gene encoding a novel trypsin-like enzyme, named SprU. The SprU protein shows a high homology ($79\%$ identity, $88\%$ similarity) with the SGT protease, which has been reported as a bacterial trypsin in the same strain. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the sprU gene suggests that SprU is produced as a precursor consisting of an amino-terminal presequence (29 amino acid residues), prosequence (4 residues), and mature trypsin consisting of 222 amino acids with a molecular weight of 22.94 kDa and a calculated pI of 4.13. The serine, histidine, and aspartic acid residues composing the catalytic triad of typical serine proteases are also well conserved. When the trypsin activity of the SprU was spectrophotometrically measured by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the artificial chromogenic substrate, N-${alpha}$-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide, the S. lividans transformant with pWHM3-U gave 3 times higher activity than that of control. When the same recombinant plasmid was introduced into S. griseus, however, the gene dosage effect was not so significant, as in the cases of other genes encoding serine proteases, such as sprA, sprB, and sprD. Although two trypsins, SprU and SGT, have a high degree of homology, the pI values, the gene dosage effect in S. griseus, and the gene arrangement adjacent to the two genes are very different, suggesting that the biochemical and biological function of the SprU might be quite different from that of the SGT.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 2004

We used cDNA microarray to assess gene expression profiles in hematopoetic cell line, U-937, exposed to low doses of ionizing irradiation. The 1,000 DNA elements on this array were PCR-amplified cDNAs selected from named human cancer related genes. According to the strength of irradiation, the levels of some gene expression were increased or decreased as dose-dependent manner. The gene expressions of Tubulin alpha, protein kinase, interferon-alpha, -beta, -omega receptor and ras homolog gene family H were significantly increased. Especially, Tubulin gene was shown 2.5 fold up-regulated manner under stress of 500 rad irradiation than 200 rad. On the other hand, fibroblast growth factor 12 and four and a half LIM domains, etc. were significantly down-regu-lated. Also, tumor protein 53(TP53) related genes that p53 inducible protein, tumor protein 53-binding protein looks of little significance as radiation sensitive manner. The radio-sensitivity of tubulin gene etc. that we proposed could be useful to rapid and correct survey for the bio-damage by exposure to low dose irradiation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.147-154
• /
• 2013

To control coccidiosis without using prophylactic medications, a DNA vaccine targeting the gametophyte antigen Gam56 from Eimeria maxima in chickens was constructed, and the immunogenicity and protective effects were evaluated. The ORF of Gam56 gene was cloned into an eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1(zeo)+. Expression of Gam56 protein in COS-7 cells transfected with recombinant plasmid pcDNA-Gam56 was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. The DNA vaccine was injected intramuscularly to yellow feathered broilers of 1-week old at 3 dosages (25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/chick$). Injection was repeated once 1 week later. One week after the second injection, birds were challenged orally with $5{\times}10^4$ sporulated oocysts of E. maxima, then weighed and killed at day 8 post challenge. Blood samples were collected and examined for specific peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation activity and serum antibody levels. Compared with control groups, the administration of pcDNA-Gam56 vaccine markedly increased the lymphocyte proliferation activity (P<0.05) at day 7 and 14 after the first immunization. The level of lymphocyte proliferation started to decrease on day 21 after the first immunization. A similar trend was seen in specific antibody levels. Among the 3 pcDNA-Gam56 immunized groups, the median dosage group displayed the highest lymphocyte proliferation and antibody levels (P<0.05). The median dosage group had the greatest relative body weight gain (89.7%), and the greatest oocyst shedding reduction (53.7%). These results indicate that median dosage of DNA vaccine had good immunogenicity and immune protection effects, and may be used in field applications for coccidiosis control.

• Journal of Aquaculture
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.409-415
• /
• 1997

The carp $\beta$-actin regulatory sequences and RSV/LTR promoter were tested whether they are functinal to express linked structure gene (chloramphenicol acetyltransferas, CAT) in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) by determining the patterns of gene expression following intramuscular in vivo direct injection. The injection experiments with various concentrations of both pRSVCAT and pFV4CAT clearly revealed the effectiveness of DNA dosage on expression of CAT. The increase of CAT activity was linear in both plasmids, and maximal CAT activity was obtained with 100 ug of pFV4CAT injection. The amounts of CAT expression with pFV4CAT-injected fist were higher than those with pRSVCAT-injected fish. CAT activity was readily detectable as early as one day after injection, slightly increased at day 2, and declined over time. Most amount of DNA intramuscularly injected into olive flounder muscles persisted extrachromosomally without showing any integrated or replicated form in vivo.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 2006

The KFDA (Korea Food & Drug Administration) has performed a collaborative toxicogenomics project since 2003. Its aim is to construct a toxicology database of 12 compounds administered to mice at initial phase. We chose 6-MP (6-mercaptopurine) which has been used in the treatment of childhood leukemia. It was administered at low (0.224 mg/kg) and at high (2.24 mg/kg) dose (5 mice per group) intraperitonealy to the postnatal 6 weeks mice, then the serum and liver were collected at the indicated time (6, 24 and 72 h) after scarification. Serum biochemical markers for liver toxicity were measured and histopathologic studies also were carried out. The gene expression profiling was carried out by using Applied Biosystems 1700 Full Genome Expression Mouse. By self-organization maps (SOM), we identified groups with unique gene expression patterns, some of them are supposed to be related to 6-MP induced toxicity, including lipid metabolism abnormality, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, ATP depletion and cell death. The potential toxic effects appearing as gene expression changes are dependent of the time of 6-MP but independent of the dosage of it. This study would contribute to establishment of international database as well as national one about hepatotoxicity.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.523-527
• /
• 2004

Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression systems were developed to pro­duce a novel human anti-angiogenic protein called LK8, an 86 amino-acid kringle fragment pro­tein with three disulfide linkages. Galactose-inducible LK8 expression plasmid was constructed, and LK8 production levels by four S. cerevisiae strains were compared in order to select an op­timal host strain. S. cerevisiae 2805 was the most efficient among the strains tested. Elevating the LK8 gene copy number through multiple integration using 8-sequences as target sites re­sulted in more than a two-fold increase in the LK8 production level compared with the plasmid­based expression system. The maximum LK8 protein concentration of 25 mg/L was obtained from batch cultivation of the yeast transformant that harbors 16 copies of the LK8 gene. In con­clusion, the strain integrated with the multiple LK8 gene secreted the protein with relatively high yield, although, the increased LK8 gene dosage over 11 copies did not lead to further en­hancement in batch cultivations.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.99-103
• /
• 1994

The herbicide bialaphos is a potent inhibitor of glutamine synthetase in higher plants. A bialaphos resistance (bar) gene encoding for an acetyltransferase was isolated from genomic DNA of Pseudomonas syringae pv tabaci. The bar gene was ligated to the binary vector pBI121. Pistils of tobacco plane were heated with the bar gene containing plasmid DNA at various times after pollination. When the treatment was applied at 30 and 40 h after pollination, a number of transgenic plants were obtained. Premary transformation (T$_{0}$ generation) and their progenies (T$_1$T$_2$) were resistant to both bialaphos and kanamycin at a dosage lathal to untransformed control plants. Stable integration of bar gene into chromosomal DNA was proven by Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA isolated from T$_1$progenies. These results show that the bialaphos resistant plane could be obtained by treatment to pistils with the exgenous bar gene through the fertilization cycle of tobacco.o.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.17-30
• /
• 2020

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the healing effect of Yukmijihwang-tang (YM) on femur fractured mice. Methods Mice were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal, control, positive control, YM with low, medium, high dosage each. All groups were prepared with femur fracture and treated diffrently. In order to measure bone regeneration effects, we analysed the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2), collagen type II alpha 1 chain (Col2a1), Sox9, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and osterix genes expressed in bone. For morphological analysis, muscles were removed and femur was observed with naked eye. Results COX2 gene expression in bone marrow significantly decreased. BMP2 gene expression significantly increased. Col2a1 gene expression significantly increased. Sox9 gene expression increased as well. Runx2 gene expression in bone marrow increased, but there was no statistical significance. Osterix gene expression significantly increased. Union of the fracture site progressed more in YM group compared to the control group. The fracture union score was significantly decreased in YM group compared to the control group. Conclusions YM showed anti-inflammatory effect, promoted bone regeneration by stimulating the bone regeneration factor. In conclusion, YM can help fracture healing and it well be applied clinically to patients with fracture.