• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권12호
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• pp.2125-2134
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• 2015

IrrE is a highly conserved global regulator in the Deinococcus genus and contributes to survival from high doses of UV radiation, ionizing radiation, and desiccation. Drad-IrrE and Dgob-IrrE from Deinococcus radiodurans and Deinococcus gobiensis I-0 each share 66% sequence identity. However, Dgob-IrrE showed a stronger protection phenotype against UV radiation than Drad-IrrE in the D. radiodurans irrE-deletion mutant (ΔirrE), which may be due to amino acid residues differences around the DNA-binding HTH domain. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to generate a Drad-IrrE A184S single mutant, which has been characterized and compared with the ΔirrE mutant complemented strain with Drad-irrE, designated ΔirrE-E. The effects of the A184S mutation following UV radiation and mitomycin C (MMC) shock were determined. The A184S mutant displayed significantly increased resistance to UV radiation and MMC shock. The corresponding A184 site in Dgob-IrrE was inversely mutated, generating the S131A mutant, which exhibited a loss of resistance against UV radiation, MMC shock, and desiccation. qPCR analysis revealed that critical genes in the DNA repair system, such as recA, pprA, uvrA, and ddrB, were remarkably induced after UV radiation and MMC shock in the ΔirrE-IE and A184S mutants. These data suggested that A184S improves the ability against UV radiation and MMC shock, providing new insights into the modification of IrrE. We speculated that the serine residue may determine the efficiency of DNA binding, leading to the increased expression of IrrE-dependent genes important for protection against DNA damage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권9호
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• pp.1055-1064
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• 2009

Enteroviruses were identified and characterized from patients with aseptic meningitis and other enterovirus-related diseases in Chungnam, Korea from 2005 to 2006. Enteroviruses were isolated from 79 of 519 cases (15.2%) in 2005, and 37 of 386 cases (9.6%) in 2006. Based on partial VP1 sequencing, a total of 116 enterovirus isolates were resolved into 13 types. Prevalent among the Chungnam isolates were echovirus 18 and coxsackievirus B5 in 2005, and echoviruses 5 and 25 in 2006. This is the first time echoviruses 5 and 18 have been identified in Korea since enterovirus surveillance began there in 1993. The temporal distribution of enterovirus epidemics in Chungnam showed a remarkable seasonal pattern, with cases occurring during most of the three months of the summer from June to August. The highest rate of enterovirus-positive cases occurred in patients less than 1 year of age. The ratio of male to female enterovirus-positive patients was approximately 1.8:1. Comparison of the VP1 amino acid sequences of the 15 coxsackievirus B5 isolates with reference strains revealed that all Chungnam isolates are substituted at positions 23 (V231), 19 (S19G), 75 (Y75F), and 95 (N95S). Upon comparing the nine ECV5 isolates with foreign strains, it was found that only the Chungnam isolates, with the exception of Kor06-ECV5-239cn, have P at position 153 and F at position 146. The three ECV9 isolates from 2006 show alterations at amino acids 36, 148, and 154 outside of the BC-loop and at position 84 in the BC-loop, whereas the seven isolates from 2005 and the other ECV9 strains in the database only show the alteration at position 84 (D, I, N, S). The five ECV25 isolates have an S residue at position 134, whereas most of the foreign strains have an N residue.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.357-366
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• 2007

To investigate the possible enhancement of genotoxicity in stress environment, we examined the of effect of genotoxic material in oxidative stress-induced condition using human tell line. Human lymphoblast cell line, TK6 was treated with hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) for induction of oxidative stress, and treated with N'-methyl-N'-nitroguanidine (MNNG), af a genetoxic material. We carried out MTS assay to set treatment doses. TK6 was treated with $H_2O_2$ at 6.75 (low dote) or $13.5\;{\mu}M$ (high dose) for 2 h, and treated with MNNG af 0.117 (low dose), 0.234 (middle dose), $0.468\;{\mu}M$ (high dose) for 2 h. As results, a treatment of MNNG induced DNA dam age as dose dependently. And TK6 treated with $H_2O_2$ at low as well as high dose followed by MNNG treatment showed higher DNA damage compared to MNNG alone treated groups. Malondialdehyde, as a marker of lipid peroxidation was increased in $H_2O_2$ and MNNG treated groups. Real-time RT-PCR analyses for expression of several antioxidative enzymes showed that catalase mRNA and glutathione peroxidase 1 mRNA expression were decreased in $H_2O_2$ and MNNG treated groups. Taken together, we conclude that genotoxicity induced by MNNG is enhanced in a condition of oxidative stress induced by $H_2O_2$ and it suggests that it should be associated with induction of lipid peroxidation and decrease of antioxidant enzymes.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.459-468
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• 2007

이 연구에서는 법랑모세포 분화과정에서 APin의 기능을 알아보고자 APin-protein microarray를 시행한 후 치아발생과 관련이 있는 MEF2, Aurora kinase A, BMPR-IB와 EF-hand calcium binding protein을 분석하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1 CMV-APin construct를 transfection하여 APin의 과발현을 유도한 경우에는 MEF2와 Aurora kinase A 둘 모두에서 발현이 현저히 감소한 반면에, APin의 발현억제를 유도한 경우에는 둘 모두 변화가 없었다. 2. APin의 과발현을 유도한 경우에는 BMPR-IB와 EF-hand calcium binding protein 모두에서 발현이 크게 증가한 반면, APin을 발현억제 시킨 경우에는 BMPR-IB는 변화가 없었고, EF-hand calcium binding protein은 현저히 감소하였다. 위의 결과들로 보아 APin 단백질은 MEF2, Aurora kinase A, BMPR-IB, EF-hand calcium binding protein과 상호작용하여 법랑모세포의 분화와 석회화 과정 중에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.272-277
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• 2007

P. pastoris는 대장균에 비해 정확한 접힘, 당화, 효율적인 분비기작등의 장점을 가지고 있어 재조합 단백질의 생산을 위한 균주로서 관심을 받고 있다. 또한 재조합 단백질의 효율적인 생산공정 개발을 위하여 배양공정 중 특정 시간이나 조건에서 발현될 수 있는 효율적인 유도성 프로모터의 개발도 중요 관심 분야이다. 본 연구에서는 연속배양을 이용하여 P. pastoris의 배양 중 특정 기질이 소모되었을 때 발현되는 자동 유도성 프로모터를 개발하기 위하여, 인산이 고갈되었을 때 과발현 되는 유전자들을 탐색하였다. 인산 제한 연속배양의 정상상태에서 얻어진 균체로 부터 total RNA와 mRNA를 분리하였고, 이로부터 cDN를 합성하여 인산제한조건에서 과발현되는 유전자들을 확보하였다. 그 중 빈도수가 높은 8종의 유전자 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH), glucokinase, thiol-specific antioxidant protein, triosephosphate isomerase, sodium/phosphate symporter(NPS) 그리고 pyruvate decarboxylase를 선별하였고, Northern blot analysis를 수행한 결과 인산 섭취에 관련된 NPS 유전자가 인산제한조건에서 과발현 됨을 확인하였다. 본 연구실에서는 자동유도성 프로모터로서 NPS유래의 프로모터의 잠재성을 알아보기 위하여, 관련 유전자를 확보하여 외래 유전자를 이용한 발현연구를 진행 중이다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권2호
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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.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권8호
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• pp.1529-1538
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• 2017

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic and clinically significant emerging pathogen. We investigated the relative roles of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 in initiating host defenses against K. pneumoniae. TLR2 knockout (KO), TLR4 KO, TLR2/4 double KO (DKO), and wild-type (WT) mice were inoculated with K. pneumoniae. Mice in each group were sacrificed after either 12 or 24h, and the lungs, liver, and blood were harvested to enumerate bacterial colony-forming units (CFU). Cytokine and chemokine levels were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time PCR, and pneumonia severity was determined by histopathological analysis. Survival was significantly shortened in TLR4 KO and TLR2/4 DKO mice compared with that of WT mice after infection with $5{\times}10^3CFU$. TLR2 KO mice were more susceptible to infection than WT mice after exposure to a higher infectious dose. Bacterial burdens in the lungs and liver were significantly higher in TLR2/4 DKO mice than in WT mice. Serum $TNF-{\alpha}$, MCP-1, MIP-2, and nitric oxide levels were significantly decreased in TLR2/4 DKO mice relative to those in WT mice, and TLR2/4 DKO mice showed significantly decreased levels of $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, MCP-1, and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA in the lung compared with those in WT mice. Collectively, these data indicate that TLR2/4 DKO mice were more susceptible to K. pneumoniae infection than single TLR2 KO and TLR4 KO mice. These results suggest that TLR2 and TLR4 play cooperative roles in lung innate immune responses and bacterial dissemination, resulting in systemic inflammation during K. pneumoniae infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1480-1487
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• 2020

Our previous report determined that miR-144 is a key regulator of intestinal epithelial permeability in irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) rats. Recent evidence has shown that lactobacilli play an important role in the relief of IBS-D symptoms. However, few studies have addressed the mechanisms by which microRNAs and lactobacilli exert their beneficial effects on intestinal epithelial permeability. Hence, to elucidate whether miRNAs and lactobacilli play roles in intestinal epithelial barrier regulation, we compared miRNA expression levels in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) under Lactobacillus casei (L. casei LC01) treatment. IECs and L. casei LC01 were co-cultured and then subjected to microRNA microarray assay. qRT-PCR, western blot and ELISA were used to detect the expression of occludin (OCLN) and zonula occludens 1 (ZO1/TJP1). The interaction between miRNAs and L. casei LC01 acting in IECs was investigated through transfection of RNA oligoribonucleotides and pcDNA 3.1 plasmid. The results are as follows: 1) L. casei LC01 decreased the expression of miR-144 and FD4 and promoted OCLN and ZO1 expression in IECs; 2) L. casei LC01 enhanced the barrier function of IECs via downregulation of miR-144 and upregulation of OCLN and ZO1; 3) Under L. casei LC01 treatment, OCLN and ZO1 overexpression could partially eliminate the promoting effect of miR-144 on intestinal permeability in IECs. Our results demonstrate that L. casei LC01 regulates intestinal permeability of IECs through miR-144 targeting of OCLN and ZO1. L. casei LC01 can be a possible therapeutic target for managing dysfunction of the intestinal epithelial barrier.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.799-807
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• 2020

Background: The skin acts as a barrier to protect organisms against harmful exogenous agents. Compound K (CK) is an active metabolite of ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2 and Rc, and researchers have focused on its skin protective efficacy. In this study, we hypothesized that increased expression of the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type-5 (SPINK5) may improve skin barrier function. Methods: We screened several ginsenosides to increase SPINK5 gene promoter activity using a transactivation assay and found that CK can increase SPINK5 expression. To investigate the protective effect of CK on the skin barrier, RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to investigate the expression levels of SPINK5, kallikrein 5 (KLK5), KLK7 and PAR2 in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and histological changes associated with the skin barrier were performed in a UVB-irradiated mouse model and a 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis-like model. Results: CK treatment increased the expression of SPINK5 and decreased the expression of its downstream genes, such as KLKs and PAR2. In the UVB-irradiated mouse model and the DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis model, CK restored increased TEWL and decreased hydration and epidermal hyperplasia. In addition, CK normalized the reduced SPINK5 expression caused by UVB or DNCB, thereby restoring the expression of the proteins involved in desquamation to a level similar to normal. Conclusions: Our data showed that CK contributes to improving skin-barrier function in UVB-irradiated and DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like models through SPINK5. These results suggest that therapeutic attempts with CK might be useful in treating barrier-disrupted diseases.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.7-13
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• 2013

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is one of the most important disease viruses in cattle that can cause severe economical losses due to decreased fertility, abortion, diarrhea, and respiratory symptoms. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate prevalence of BVDV infection (Transiently infection, Persistently infection) in dairy cattle in Gyeongnam southern area, Korea and use this data as the basis for establishing an eradication program and policy. A total of 44 bulk-tank milk samples (farms) collected in milk collecting center were tested for BVDV antibody using an ELISA. As the result, out of a total of 44 bulk-tank milk samples (farms), 38 (86.4%) samples were BVDV antibody positive. Blood samples (17 farms, n=543) were collected from BVDV antibody positive farms in bulk-tank milk, tested for BVDV antigen with ELISA and PCR. BVDV infected farms were 47% (8/17) and BVDV infected head were 2.2% (12/543). Persistently infected cattle (PI) were detected at 6 (35.3%) farms out of 17 farms and a total of 6 (1.1%) out of 543 head of cattle were identified as PI. The seropositive of BVDV antibody at farms and head were 100% (17/17) and 49.45% (91/184), respectively. The seroprevalence of BVDV antibody in PI infected farms (67.35%) much higher than that of BVDV antibody in transiently infected cattle (TI) infected farms (45%) and uninfected farms (34.48%). For eradication of BVDV infection in cattle populations, First of all, we should remove PI and need vaccination.