• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2014

Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis in all age groups and its food poisoning outbreaks are rapidly increasing in Korea. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is most widely used for the rapid detection of foodborne viruses due to high sensitivity. However, the false positive results of RT-PCR obtained against already inactivated viruses could be a serious drawbacks in food safety area. In this study, we investigated a method to yield true positive RT-PCR results only with alive viruses. To decompose the RNA genes from dead viruses, the enzymatic treatments composed of proteinse K and Ribonuclease A were applied to the sanitized and inactivated virus particles. Another aim of this study was to quantify the efficiencies of several major sanitizing treatments using real-time RT-PCR. Feline calicivirus (FCV) that belongs to the same Caliciviridae family with norovirus was used as a surrogate model for norovirus. The initial level of virus in control suspension was approximately $10^4$ PFU/mL. Most of inactivated viruses treated with the enzymatic treatment for 30 min at $37^{\circ}C$ were not detected in RT-PCR, Quantification results to verify the inactivation efficiencies of sanitizing treatments using real-time RT-PCR showed no false positive in most cases. We could successfully develope a numerical quantification process for the inactivated viruses after major sanitizing treatments using real-time RT-PCR. The results obtained in this study could provide a novel basis of rapid virus quantification in food safety area.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2033-2037
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• 2005

In vitro selection was used to isolate $Mg^{2+}$-dependent self-cleaving ribozymes with cis-cleavage activity from a pre-tRNA library having 40-mer random sequences attached to 5'-end of E. coli $tRNA^{Phe}$. After 8 rounds of SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment), RNA molecules which can self-cleave at the high concentration of $Mg^{2+}$ were isolated. The selected ribozymes can carry out the self-cleavage reaction in the presence of 100 mM $Mg^{2+}$ but not in 10 mM $Mg^{2+}$. The cleavage sites of the ribozymes are located at +3 and +4 of $tRNA^{Phe}$, compared with +1 position of 5'-end cleavage site of pre-tRNA by RNase P. New RNA constructs deprived of its D stem-loop, anticodon stem-loop, variable loop and T stem-loop, respectively showed the cleavage specificity identical to a ribozyme having the intact tRNA structure. Also, the new ribozyme fused with both a ribozyme and $tRNA^{Leu}$ showed the cleavage activities at the various sites within its sequences, different from two sites of position +3 and +4 observed in the ribozyme with $tRNA^{Phe}$. Our results suggest that the selected ribozyme is not structural-specific for tRNA.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.226-231
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• 2007

Housekeeping genes are widely used as internal controls in a variety of study types, including real time RT-PCR, microarrays, Northern analysis and RNase protection assays. However, even commonly used housekeeping genes may vary in stability depending on the cell type or disease being studied. Thus, it is necessary to identify additional housekeeping-type genes that show sample-independent stability. Here, we used statistical analysis to examine a large human microarray database, seeking genes that were stably expressed in various tissues, disease states and cell lines. We further selected genes that were expressed at different levels, because reference and target genes should be present in similar copy numbers to achieve reliable quantitative results. Real time RT-PCR amplification of three newly identified reference genes, CGI-119, CTBP1 and GOLGAl, alongside three well-known housekeeping genes, B2M, GAPD, and TUBB, confirmed that the newly identified genes were more stably expressed in individual samples with similar ranges. These results collectively suggest that statistical analysis of microarray data can be used to identify new candidate housekeeping genes showing consistent expression across tissues and diseases. Our analysis identified three novel candidate housekeeping genes (CGI-119, GOLGA1, and CTBP1) that could prove useful for normalization across a variety of RNA-based techniques.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.829-833
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• 2009

Angiogenin is a member of the ribonuclease superfamily that induces the formation of new blood vessels. It has been suggested that the surface loop of angiogenin defined by residues 59-71 plays a special role in angiogenic function (1); however, the mechanism of action is not clearly defined. To elucidate the role of the surface loop on the structure, function and stability of angiogenin, three surface loop mutants were produced in which 14 amino acids in the surface loop of RNase A were substituted for the 13 amino acids in the corresponding loop of angiogenin. The structure, stability and biological functions of the mutants were then investigated using biophysical and biological approaches. Even though the substitutions did not influence the overall structure of angiogenin, they affected the stability and angiogenic function of angiogenin, indicating that the surface loop of angiogenin plays a significant role in maintaining the stability and angiogenic function of angiogenin.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 1996

The role of Ca2+ on benzyladenine (BA)-induced senescence retardation in mature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) primary leaves was investigated. When an extracellular calcium chelator, ethylene glycol-bis-($\beta$-aminoethylether)-N, N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) together with BA, was applied to senescing leaves for 4 days of dark incubation, the content of chlorophyll and soluble protein decreased rapidly. And, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), known to be a degradation product of membrane lipids, increased compared with the BA alone control. The BA-EGTA combination also caused the stimulation of protease and RNase activity and a rapid loss of catalase activity owing to the decling of BA effects. In the case of treatment with only intracellular calcium antagonist 3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzoic acid 8-(diethylamino) octyl ester (TMB-8) without the BA addition, the chlorophyll content at day 4 after dark incubation decreased in paralled with the increasing concentration of the antagonist. In addition, the chlorophyll content at 10-5 M calcium ionophore A23187 treatment in the absence of BA was similar to that of the BA alone treatment. These results suggest that calcium may mediate the retardation effect of BA on leaf senescence by acting as a second messenger and that the calcium input from cell organelles, as well as the calcium inflow from intercellular spaces and cell walls, may be involved in modulating cytosolic calcium levels related to BA action.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 1987

It is still difficult and time consuming to obtain cDNA sequences that contain the entire nucleotide sequence of the corresponding mRNA. A rapid and high efficient cloning method to obtain full-length cDNA segments is thus developed. The cloning procedure described here consists of the construction of oligo(dT)-tailed vector primer using pWR34 plasmid, polyadenylation of mRNA-cDNA heteroduplex using terminal deoxytransferase, and replacement of MRNA strand with DNA by RNase H and DNA polymerase I. The restriction endonuclease analysis shows that the size of inserted-cDNA is in the range of 1.5~4.0 kb long suggesting that most of cloned cDNA are full-length or nearly full-length cDNA. The plasmid-DNA recombinants obtained were 4$\times$$10^5$~$10^{6}$ per $\mu\textrm{g}$ of rat liver poly (A$^+$)mRNA, which is 4 to 10 fold higher cloning efficiency in comparison to the presently used methods for full-length cDNA cloning. The results indicate that the described cloning system is much simpler, less time consuming, and very efficient cloning method to construct a cDNA library.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 1997

Earthworm extracts are known for anti-inflammatory, analgesic. antipyretic, and anticancer effects but can also influence blood circulation. It was previously shown that an earthworm, Lumbricus rubelius. contained a water-extractable anticoagulant which was a heat- and acid-stable molecule with hydrophilic property. In order to uncover the biochemical nature of this molecule, the anticoagulant was processed with various hydrolases such as trypsin, DNase, RNase. and lysozome. When the digested samples were analyzed with an in vitro coagulation test measuring activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and agarose gel electrophoresis, the anticoagulant proved to be a relatively homogeneous DNA fragment with relative molecular size around 72 base pairs. Interestingly, the activity was further stimulated with a trypsin digestion. RNA. on the other hand, did not prolong the APTT. It was also demonstrated that the DNA accelerated the antithrombin III (AT-III) inhibition of thrombin from $IC_{50}$ of 0.34 to 0.16 unit determined with S-2238 as a substrate, whereas heparin, a popular anticoagulant. shifted the value to 0.05. Therefore, it is suggested that the DNA could be considered as an alternative antithrombotic agent to heparin, which would exhibits bleeding side effects.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.757-763
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• 2012

To acquaint correct information about the fertilizability and analyze S-allele based genetic diversity among Korean apples, we investigated self-incompatibility genotypes by PCR and cross-pollination tests in field. As a consequence, S-genotypes of Korean apples were distributed within narrow genetic diversity as $S_1S_3$ for 'Hongro' and 'Saenara'; $S_1S_9$ for 'Gamhong' and 'Manbok'; $S_3S_5$ for 'Seokwang'; $S_3S_9$ for 'Sunhong', 'Seohong', 'Chukwang', and 'Hwahong'. Coupled with cross-pollination experiments in field, our results provide support for the view that apples are fully compatible when both of their S-loci differ and semi-compatible when they carry one different and one identical S-locus. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that S-alleles have to be extended to various genotypes for Korean apple breeding.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.558-562
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• 2014

OASL1 is a member of the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) family and promotes viral clearance by activating RNase L. OASL1 interacts with the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of interferon regulatory factor 7 (Irf7) and inhibits its translation. To identify the secondary structure required for OASL1 binding, we examined the 5'-UTR of the Irf7 transcript using "selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension" (SHAPE). SHAPE takes advantage of the selective acylation of residues in single-stranded regions by 1-methyl-7-nitroisatoic anhydride (1M7). We found five major acylation sites located in, or next to, predicted single-stranded regions of the Irf7 5'-UTR. These results demonstrate the involvement of the stem structure of the Irf7 5'-UTR in the regulation of Irf7 translation, mediated by OASL1.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.495-500
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• 2013

Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) is a positive strand RNA virus. We have modified TYMV coat protein (CP) by inserting a c-Myc epitope peptide at the N- or C-terminus of the CP, and have examined its effect on assembly. We introduced the recombinant CP constructs into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves by agroinfiltration. Examination of the leaf extracts by agarose gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis showed that the CP modified at the N-terminus produced a band co-migrating with wild-type virions. With C-terminal modification, however, the detected bands moved faster than the wild-type virions. To further examine the effect, TYMV constructs producing the modified CPs were prepared. With N-terminal modification, viral RNAs were protected from RNase A. In contrast, the viral RNAs were not protected with C-terminal modification. Overall, the results suggest that virion assembly and RNA packaging occur properly when the N-terminus of CP is modified, but not when the C-terminus is modified.