• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.505-514
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• 2022

Background: The roots of Panax ginseng contain two types of tetracyclic triterpenoid saponins, namely, protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type saponins and protopanaxatiol (PPT)-type saponins. In P. ginseng, the protopanaxadiol 6-hydroxylase (PPT synthase) enzyme catalyses protopanaxatriol (PPT) production from protopanaxadiol (PPD). In this study, we constructed homozygous mutant lines of ginseng by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the PPT synthase gene and obtained the mutant ginseng root lines having complete depletion of the PPT-type ginsenosides. Methods: Two sgRNAs (single guide RNAs) were designed for target mutations in the exon sequences of the two PPT synthase genes (both PPTa and PPTg sequences) with the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Transgenic ginseng roots were generated through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The mutant lines were screened by ginsenoside analysis and DNA sequencing. Result: Ginsenoside analysis revealed the complete depletion of PPT-type ginsenosides in three putative mutant lines (Cr4, Cr7, and Cr14). The reduction of PPT-type ginsenosides in mutant lines led to increased accumulation of PPD-type ginsenosides. The gene editing in the selected mutant lines was confirmed by targeted deep sequencing. Conclusion: We have established the genome editing protocol by CRISPR/Cas9 system in P. ginseng and demonstrated the mutated roots producing only PPD-type ginsenosides by depleting PPT-type ginsenosides. Because the pharmacological activity of PPD-group ginsenosides is significantly different from that of PPT-group ginsenosides, the new type of ginseng mutant producing only PPD-group ginsenosides may have new pharmacological characteristics compared to wild-type ginseng. This is the first report to generate target-induced mutations for the modification of saponin biosynthesis in Panax species using CRISPR-Cas9 system.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2010

Rice is the staple food of more than 50% of the worlds population. Cultivated rice has the AA genome (diploid, 2n=24) and small genome size of only 430 megabase (haploid genome). As the sequencing of rice genome was completed by the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP), many researchers in the world have been working to explore the gene function on rice genome. Insertional mutagenesis has been a powerful strategy for assessing gene function. In maize, well characterized transposable elements have traditionally been used to clone genes for which only phenotypic information is available. In rice endogenous mobile elements such as MITE and Tos (Hirochika. 1997) have been used to generate gene-tagged populations. To date T-DNA and maize transposable element systems has been utilized as main insertional mutagens in rice. A main drawback of a T-DNA scheme is that Agrobacteria-mediated transformation in rice requires extensive facilities, time, and labor. In contrast, the Ac/Ds system offers the advantage of generating new mutants by secondary transposition from a single tagged gene. Revertants can be utilized to correlate phenotype with genotype. To enhance the efficiency of gene detection, advanced gene-tagging systems (i.e. activation, gene or enhancer trap) have been employed for functional genomic studies in rice. Internationally, there have been many projects to develop large scales of insertionally mutagenized populations and databases of insertion sites has been established. Ultimate goals of these projects are to supply genetic materials and informations essential for functional analysis of rice genes and for breeding using agronomically important genes. In this report, we summarize the current status of Ac/Ds-mediated gene tagging systems that has been launched by collaborative works from 2001 in Korea.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.121-129
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• 2002

Existing methods for optimization of sequences by random mutagenesis generate libraries with a small number of mostly deleterious mutations, resulting in libraries containing a large fraction of non-functional clones that explore only a small part of sequence space. Large numbers of clones need to be screened to find the rare mutants with improvements. Library display formats are useful to screen very large libraries but impose screening limitations that limit the value of this approach for most commercial applications. By contrast, in both classical breeding and in DNA shuffling, natural diversity is permutated by homologous recombination, generating libraries of very high quality, from which improved clones can be identified with a small number of complex screens. Given that this small number of screens can be performed under the conditions of actual use of the product, commercially relevant improvements can be reliably obtained.

• The Korea Genome Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.41.1-41.1
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• 2002

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 1995

To investigate how the dyad symmetry region (DSR) and the distance between vir box and -35 sequence of the virE promoter plays a role in virE gene expression, two mutants were constructed by base substitution and insertional mutagenesis. The base substitutional mutation, a AAlongrightarrowCG substitution at positions -39 and -40 on the DSR, showed the level of $\beta$-galactosidase activity approximately 91% of the wild type virE promoter activity. Therefore, the native structure of the DSR seems to be not essential for virE expression. The insertional mutation, constructed by inserting 8 bp ClaI linker between -49 and -50, displayed the $\beta$-galactosidase activity at 12% of the native virE promoter activity. However, this striking reduction appears to be not caused by destruction of the native DSR structure, but by shifting the vir box far from putative -35 sequence.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2000

DnaK is a major heat shock protein and known to be highly conserved in all species. Previously, the dnaK in Streptococcus pneumoniae was cloned and the immunogenic nature characterized. In this study, dnaK mutants were generated by insertion of duplication mutagenesis and their characteristics examined. They had defective growths at all temperatures ($20^{\circ}C-42^{\circ}C$)and cell divisions, and formed filaments after a temperature shift from 30 to 42. A unique feature of the dnaK mutants of S. pneumoniae, unlike those of E. coli and B. subtilis, was the growth capability at high temperature ($42^{\circ}C$) without producing the putative GroEL. Our results suggest that DnaK may serve as a regulator and/or modifier in GroEL gene expression.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.213-215
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• 2013

A high-throughput screening strategy was developed to simplify the selection process for improved mannitol producing strain after chemical mutagenesis. Ethylmethyl sulfonate (EMS) was used as a chemical mutagen to alter the fructokinase-I gene which is an essential enzyme to metabolize fructose for growth. Leuconostoc mesenteroides treated with EMS were plated on the modified MRS solid medium containing fructose as a sole carbon source. Strains showing inhibited growth were primarily selected to evaluate the mannitol producing ability. By applying this strategy, L. mesenteroides ATCC 8293 M1, L. mesenteroides ATCC 9135 M3 and L. mesenteroides D1 M3 showed improvement in mannitol production.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2010

NPR1 is a positive regulator of systemic acquired resistance in Arabidopsis and rice. Expression of the rice gene OsNPR1 is induced by salicylic acid (SA). To identify the region of the OsNPR1 promoter involved in response to SA, we carried out deletion mutagenesis of the region 1005 bp upstream of the OsNPR1 start codon. Ciselement analysis revealed that the OsNPR1 promoter contains W-boxes and ASF1 motifs, both of which are known to be functional cis-elements of the WRKY and bZIP proteins, respectively. The deletion constructs 1005:LUC and 752:LUC, were induced by up to 4.3- and 3.8-fold, respectively, following SA treatment, suggesting that W-boxes and ASF1 motifs may play an important role in the strong induction of these constructs by SA. Using mutation analysis, we also showed that both the W-box and ASF1 motif are necessary for SA-induced expression of OsNPR1.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2001

Salmonella typhimurium possesses a cad operon, which contributes to an adaptive response against an acidifying environment. In Escherichia coli, the activation of the cad operon is dependent on cadC, which is located upstream of the operon. However, the activator of cad operon in S. typhimurium has not been known until now. In this study, we selected a putative cadC mutant by trasposon mutagenesis and cloned the cadc of S. typhimurium. Moreover, the cadC mutant was complemented by cadC clone. The cadC gene from S. typhimurium LT-2 consists of 1539 bp encoding a polypeptide ob 512 amino acids, and shows sequence similarity to cadC of E. coli with 53% identity and 67% similarity. The hydrophobicity profile of th S. typhimurim CadC sequence is very similar to E. coli CadC.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.91-91
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• 2004