• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.389-398
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• 2009

Development of expression vectors is important for the basic and applied researches on kimchi LAB (lactic acid bacteria). An expression vector, pSJE6c was constructed by inserting P6C promoter sequence from Lactococcus lactis into pSJE, a shuttle vector for E. coli and Leuconostoc species. To test the efficiency of pSJE6c, aga ($\alpha$-galactosidase) and lacZ ($\beta$-galactosidase) genes were expressed in Lactobacillus brevis 2.14. Compared to the pSJE, expression levels of both genes were increased, indicating P6C promoter was better than indigenous promoters. Enzyme activities of L. brevis cells harboring pSJE6caga (pSJE6c with aga) or pSJE6Z (pSJE6c with lacZ) were 1.5-2 fold higher than those with pSJEaga (pSJE with aga) or pSJEZ (pSJE with lacZ). More RNA transcripts were detected in cells harboring pSJE6c based recombinant plasmid. The results indicated that heterologous gene expressions in kimchi LAB could be improved significantly by use of efficient expression vectors.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.532-538
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• 1994

In order to investigate the lowering effects of in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis by the treatment of chymotrypsin, trypsin, pancreatin, or protease from Aspergillus oryzae on the antigenicity of whey protein(WPI) against rabbit anti ${\beta}-LG$ antiserum, competitive inhibition ELISA(cELISA) and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis(PCA) test using guinea pig were performed. The results of cELISA showed that the monovalent antigenicity of the whey protein hydrolysates(WPH) to the antiserum was decreased to $10^{-1.7}{\sim}10^{-4.1}$ and less by the hydrolysis. Especially, the antigenicity of OUP(hydrolysate by protease from Asp. oryzae with preteatment of pepsin) was found almost to be removed. By the heterologous PCA the polyvalent antigenicity of the WPH was decreased to $1/2{\sim}1/128$ and less. Especially, the polyvalent antigenicity of OUN(hydrolysate by protease from Asp. oryzae without preteatments) was found almost to be removed, although OUN did not have so high degree of hydrolysis(DH) or so low monovalent antigenicity (reduced to $10^{-3.2}$). Therefore, this result was assumed to come from effective destruction of antigenic determinants on ${\beta}-LG$ in WPI, not to produce polyvalent antigenic peptides that are closely associated with induction of allergy. This finding suggested that WPH prepared by the treatment of microorganic protease from Asp. oryzae would be a material for hypoallergenic infant formula due to the removal of the polyvalent antigenicity of ${\beta}-LG$, the major milk allergen in WPI.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2016

The sodium hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHE1), which functions in maintaining the ratio of $Na^+$ and $H^+$ ions, is widely distributed in cell plasma membranes. It plays a prominent role in pH balancing, cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration. However, its exact subcellular location and biological functions in Toxoplasma gondii are largely unclear. In this study, we cloned the C-terminal sequence of T. gondii NHE1 (TgNHE1) incorporating the C-terminal peptide of NHE1 (C-NHE1) into the pGEX4T-1 expression plasmid. The peptide sequence was predicted to have good antigenicity based on the information obtained from an immune epitope database. After induction of heterologous gene expression with isopropyl-b-D-thiogalactoside, the recombinant C-NHE1 protein successfully expressed in a soluble form was purified by glutathione sepharose beads as an immunogen for production of a rabbit polyclonal antiserum. The specificity of this antiserum was confirmed by western blotting and immunofluorescence. The antiserum could reduce T. gondii invasion into host cells, indicated by the decreased TgNHE1 expression in T. gondii parasites that were pre-incubated with antiserum in the process of cell entry. Furthermore, the antiserum reduced the virulence of T. gondii parasites to host cells in vitro, possibly by blocking the release of $Ca^{2+}$. In this regard, this antiserum has potential to be a valuable tool for further studies of TgNHE1.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.255-261
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• 2003

The antigenicity of nonspecific immunostimulator BARODON$^{(R)}$, a newly developed drug, was investigated by tests for passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) in mice and guinea pigs. In ASA test using guinea pigs, there were no significant clinical symptoms in all individuals of low(0.3%) and high(3%) dose of both groups treated with only BARODON$^{(R)}$ and cotreated with BARODON$^{(R)}$ and adjuvant group. In PCA test, blue spots of Evan's were observed from $2^6$ to $2^{10}$ in homologous group and from $2^2{\sim}2^5$ dilution rate in heterologous group of BSA treated positive control group. However, intradermal sensitization with antiserum obtained from low (0.3%) and high (3%) dose of BARODON$^{(R)}$ only treatment group and treated-with-adjuvant group, followed by intravenous injection of respective antigen and Evan's blue mixture (1:1) showed no blue spot observed. In conclusion, BARODON$^{(R)}$, as showed in ASA and PCA test, did not cause anaphylatic shock when treated 3 and 10 times higher than clinically intended dose, nor induce IgE, so that might not have antigenic properties in mice and guinea pigs.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.96-105
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• 2019

Automobile shredder residue (ASR) is the final waste produced when end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are shredded. ASR can be separated using mineral-processing operations such as comminution, air classification, magnetic separation, and/or electrostatic separation. In this work, trajectory analyses of conductors (copper) and non-conductors (glass) in the ASR have been carried out using induction electrostatic separator for predicting or improving the ASR-separation efficiency. From results of trajectory analysis for conductors, the trajectories of copper wire by observation versus simulation for coarse particles of 0.5 and 0.25 mm showed consistent congruity. The observed 0.06 mm fine-particles trajectory was deflected toward the (-) attractive electrode owing to the charge-density effects due to the particle characteristics and relative humidity. In the case of non-conductors, the actual trajectory of dielectric glass deflected toward the (-) electrode, showing characteristics similar to those of conductive particles. The analyses of stereoscopic microscope and SEM & EDS found heterologous materials (fine ferrous particles and conductive organics) on the glass surface. This demonstrates the glass decreasing separation efficiency for non-ferrous metals during electrostatic separation for the recycling of ASR. Future work will require a pretreatment process for eliminating impurities from the glass and advanced trajectory-simulation processes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.274-280
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• 2005

Pasteurella multocida is known to cause widespread infections in husbandry. To induce homologous and heterologous immunity against the infections, outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in the envelope of P. multocida are thought to be attractive vaccine candidates. Outer membrane protein H is considered as the major component of OMPs. In this study, a gene for OmpH was isolated from pathogenic P. multocida serogroup A. The gene was composed of 1,047 nucleotides coding 348 amino acids with signal peptide of 20 amino acids. The amino acid composition showed about 80 to 98 per cent sequence homologies among other 10 strains of P. multocida serogroup A, reported so far. A recombinant ompH, from which signal peptide was truncated, was generated using pRSET A to name 'pRSET A/OmpH-F2'. The pRSET A/OmpH-F2 was well expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The truncated OmpH was purified using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) affinity column chromatography. Its molecular weight was registered to be 40 kDa on SDS-PAGE gel. In order to generate immunesera against the OmpH, 50 ug of the protein was intraperitoneally injected into mice three times. The anti-OmpH immuneserum recognized about $5{\times}10^{-2}$ng quantity of the purified OmpH. It can be used for an effective vaccine production to prevent fowl cholera caused by pathogenic P. multocida (Serogroup A).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2004

The nucleotide sequence of 8.6-kb EcoRI fragment containing sucrose phosphorylase gene isolated from Bifidobacterium longum SJ32 was determined. It was found that the fragment contained five open reading frames including the gene cluster for sucrose utilization such as a sucrose phosphorylase (ScrP), a sucrose transporter (ScrT), and a GalR-LacI-type transcriptional regulator (ScrR) identified by amino acid homology. Each gene showed over 94% amino acid homology among various B. longum strains. Genomic organization of the gene cluster is the same as those of other strains of B. longum but different from that of B. lactis. In spite of high homology of each gene among B. longum strains, the difference of flanking sequences of the gene cluster between strains SJ32 and NCC2705 insinuates the horizontal transfer of scrPTR between B. longum strains. The increase of sucrose phosphorylase activity in heterologous E. coli system by the co-expression of scrT with scrP against the single expression of scrP was measured. It seems to be the result of sucrose uptake increment by scrT in the host and is an indirect evidence that scrT is the gene for sucrose transport. The existence of multiple sucrose uptake systems in B. longum is supposed from the findings of several genes besides scrPTR involved in sucrose uptake in the genome of B. longum NCC2705.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.345-351
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• 2005

To access the natural products of uncultured microorganisms, we constructed and screened the metagenomic DNA libraries by using a cosmid vector and DNA inserts isolated directly from soil. Initial screening of the libraries in Escherichia coli resulted in the isolation of several clones that produce a dark brown color when grown in LB medium. One of the positive clones, designed pYS85C, was transposon mutagenized and the DNA surrounding the transposon insertions in cosmids that no longer conferred the production of brown pigment to E. coli was sequenced. Annotation of the pYS85C sequence obtained from the transposon mutagenesis experiment indicated a single 393 amino acid open reading frame (ORF) with a molecular mass of about 44.5 kDa, predicted to be a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenases (HPPDs), was responsible for the observed brown pigment. In a BLAST search against deposited sequence, the translated protein from this ORF showed moderate-level identity (>60%) to the other known HPPDs and was most conserved in the C-terminal region of the protein. These results show that genes involved in natural product synthesis can be cloned directly from soil DNA and expressed in a heterologous host, supporting the idea that this technology has the potential to provide novel natural products from the wealth of environmental microbial diversity and is a potentially important new tool for drug discovery.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2015

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is now the second largest oilseed crop after soybean. Cold temperature tolerance is an important agronomic trait in winter rapeseed that determines the plant's ability to control below freezing temperatures. To improve cold tolerance of rapeseed plants, an expression vector containing an Barley Ice recrystallization inhibition protein (HvIRIP) cDNA driven by a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was transferred into rapeseed plants. Transgenic expression of HvIRIP was proved by southern- and northern-blot analyses. The level of freezing tolerance of transgenic $T_3$ plants was found to be significantly greater than that of wild-type rapeseed plants by freezing assay. Proline accumulation during cold stress was also highly induced in the transgenic rapeseed plants. The transgenic plants exhibited considerable tolerance against oxidative damage induced by cold stress. Our results indicated that heterologous HvIRIP expression in transgenic rapeseed plants may induce several oxidative-stress responsive genes to protect from cold stress.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1989

To enhance the capability of starch fermentation of the transformant TSD-14, the heat treated protoplasts of TSD-14 were fused with the protoplasts of C. tropicalis (lys$^-$) in the presence of 30% (w/ v) PEG and 20 mM CaC1$_2$. Fusants were selected by nutritional complementation on minium medium and the fusion frequency was 4.4$\times$10$^{-5}$. All fusants tested were possessed of complemented traits concerning carbon compound assimilation, and the cell volumes of the fusants were approximately 1.5 times larger than the parental strains. The fusants were genetically very stable, and were able to hydrolyze alpha 1,4-glucosidic linkage as well as alpha 1,6-linkage of starch contrary to one of parents TSD-14, The most promising fusant FSC-14-75 produced 8.7% (v/v) of ethanol from 15% liquefied potato starch medium, but the result was enhanced to 9.3% (v/v) by addition of 0.3% peptone. The corresponding fermentation efficiency was 86.0%.