• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.243-247
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• 1992

The thr operon of Escherichia coli TF427, an $\alpha$-amino-$\beta$-hydroxyvaleric acid (AHV)-resistant threonine overproducer, was cloned in a pBluescriptII $KS^＋$ plasmid by complementation of E. coli mutants. All clones contained a common 8.8 kb HindIII-generated DNA fragment and complemented the thrA, thrB, and thrC mutants by showing that these clones contained the whole thr operon. This thr operon was subcloned in the plasmid vectors pBR322, pUC18, and pECCG117, an E. coli/Corynebacterium glutamicum shuttle vector, to form recombinant plasmids pBTF11, pUTF25 and pGTF18, respectively. The subcloned thr operon was shown to be present in a 6.0 kb insert. A transformant of E. coli TF125 with pBTF11 showed an 8~11 fold higher aspartokinase I activity, and 15~20 fold higher L-threonine production than TF125, an AHV-sensitive methionine auxotroph. Also, it was found that the aspartokinase I activity of E. coli TF125 harboring pBTF11 was not inhibited by threonine and its synthesis was not repressed by threonine plus isoleucine.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.604-613
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• 1998

The last enzyme of the sesquiterpen phytoalexin capsidiol synthesis in tobacco cell, 5-epi-aristolochene hydro-xylase which convert 5-epi-aristolochene (EAS) to capsidiol, was cloned by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction strategy and cDNA library screening. Cloned CYP-B3 contained high probability amino acid matches to known plant cytochrome P450 sequences and open reading frame with the conserved FxxGxRxCxG heme-binding region. Transcripts of CYP-B3 were not detected in control cells, but induced in elicitor-treated cells. Furthermore, CYP-B3 transcripts were induced by fungal extracts and cellulase but not by other stimuli(chilling, heat shock and 2,4-D). Induction of CYP-B3 transcripts by elicitor treatment was not affected by ancymidol and ketoconazole treat-ments suggesting that an inhibition of hydroxylase activity by Cyt P450 inhibitors resulting from post translational processing event.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.65-73
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• 2007

The objective of this study is to understand how regulatory mechanisms respond to sugar status for more efficient carbon utilization and source-sink regulation in plants. So, we need to identify and characterize many components of sugar-response pathways for a better understanding of sugar responses. For this end, genes responding change of sugar status were screened using Arabidpsis cDNA arrays, and confirmed thirty-six genes to be regulated by sucrose supply in detached leaves by RNA blot analysis. Eleven of them encoding proteins for amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were repressed by sugars. The remaining genes induced by sugar supply were for protein synthesis including ribosomal proteins and elongation factors. Among them, I focused on three hydrolase genes encoding putative $\beta$-galactosidase, $\beta$-xylosidase, and $\beta$-glucosidase that were transcriptionally induced in sugar starvation. Homology search indicated that these enzymes were involved in hydrolysis of cell wall polysaccharides. In addition to my results, recent transcriptome analysis suggested multiple genes for cell wall degradation were induced by sugar starvation. Thus, I hypothesized that enzyme for cell wall degradation were synthesized and secreted to hydrolyze cell wall polysaccharides producing carbon source under sugar-starved conditions. In fact, the enzymatic activities of these three enzymes increased in culture medium of Arabidopsis suspension cells under sugar starvation. The $\beta$-galactosidase encoded by At5g56870 was identified as a secretory protein in culture medium of suspension cells by mass spectrometry analysis. This protein was specifically detected under sugar-starved condition with a specific antibody. Induction of these genes was repressed in suspension cells grown with galactose, xylose and glucose as well as with sucrose. In planta, expression of the genes and protein accumulation were detected when photosynthesis was inhibited. Glycosyl hydrolase activity against galactan also increased during sugar starvation. Further, contents of cell wall polysaccharides especially pectin and hemicellulose were markedly decreased associating with sugar starvation in detached leaves. The amount of monosaccharide in pectin and hemicellulose in detached leaves decreased in response to sugar starvation. These results supported my idea that cell wall has one of function to supply carbon source in addition to determination of cell shape and physical support of plant bodies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8789-8791
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• 2014

Estrogen receptor alpha ($ER{\alpha}$) is one of the major sub-types of estrogen receptors. $ER{\alpha}$ plays an important role in cellular proliferation and differentiation, chiefly in mammary tissues. In the present study we aimed to quantify of $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA and protein expression in breast tissues from the Iranian population using a real-time PCR assay. Twenty nine breast tissues including 19 adenocarcinomas and 10 normal controls were recruited from the Iranian population. mRNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed from these tissues using commercial kits. $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA and protein expression was quantified using real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. The results showed high expression of $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA (68%) and protein (53%) in the majority of breast cancer tissues compared to normal breast tissues (p= 0.035). Also, high $ER{\alpha}$ mRNA was associated with tumour size of breast carcinomas. In this study, we first reported the expression of $ER{\alpha}$ in Iranian patients with breast cancers and demonstrated prevalence of the expression to be similar to breast cancers noted in other populations.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.929-933
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• 2010

We tried to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from a silkworm, Bombyx mori, involved in fungal (Aspergillus niger) infection. A total RNA purified from fungal-induced and normal B. mori ($5^{th}$ instar larvae) was used for the cDNA synthesis. Differentially expressed genes were screened by annealing control primer (ACP)-based PCR technique. Comparing the gene expression profiles between fungal infection and control silkworm, we detected 10 genes that were differentially expressed in fungal induction and performed molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the 10 genes. We confirmed the expression patterns of 3 DEGs by RT-PCR. The 3 DEGs over-expressed in fungal infection were identified as lysozyme, enbocin and an unknown gene. They were first identified to be genes induced by fungal infection. Although the detailed functions of 3 genes and their products remain to be determined, the genes will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of insect-immune systems induced by fungal infection.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1055-1060
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• 2003

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a well-known mitogen in various cell types. However, we found that LPA inhibits melanocyte proliferation. Thus, we further investigated the possible signaling pathways involved in melanocyte growth inhibition. We first examined the regulation of the three major subfamilies of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and of the Akt pathway by LPA. The activations of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were observed in concert with the inhibition of melanocyte proliferation by LPA, whereas p38 MAP kinase and Akt were not influenced by LPA. However, the specific inhibition of the ERK or JNK pathways by PD98059 or D-JNKI1, respectively, did not restore the antiproliferative effect. We next examined changes in the expression of cell cycle related proteins. LPA decreased cyclin $D_1 and cyclin D_2$ levels but increased $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ (p21) and $p27^{KIP1}$ (p27) levels, which are known inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase. Flow cytometric analysis showed the inhibition of DNA synthesis by a reduction in the S phase and an increase in the $G_0/G_1$ phase of the cell cycle. Our results suggest that LPA induces cell cycle arrest by regulating the expressions of cell cycle related proteins.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.07a
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• pp.63-67
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• 1999

We have isolated more than a dozen cDNA clones corresponding to genes that were expressed in Arabidopsis leaves when they were kept in the dark. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed that some of the clones encoded proteins with significant homology to $\beta$-glucosidase (din2), branched-chain $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase subunit E1$\beta$(din3), and another subunit E2 (din4), yeast RAD23 (din5), asparagine synthetase (din6), pre-mRNA splicing factor SRp35 (din7), phosphomannose isomerase (din9), seed imbibition protein (din10), and 2-oxoacid-dependent oxidase (din11). Accumulation of transcripts from din3,4,6 and 10 occurred rapidly after the plants were transferred to darkness. Transcripts from din2,9, and 11 could be detected only after 24 h of dark treatment. Inhibition of photo-synthesis by DCMU strongly induced the accumulation of transcripts from those genes, and application of sucrose to detached leaves suppressed the accumulation both in the dark and by DCMU. These observations indicate that expression of the genes is caused by sugar starvation resulted from the cessation of photosynthesis. We further showed that din2-encoded protein also accumulated in senescing leaves. Given these results, possible roles of din genes in leaves in the dark and senescing leaves are discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.451-458
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• 2013

The human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori (Hp) has been considered a microaerophile. However, we recently reported that, when supplied with 10% $CO_2$, Hp growth is stimulated by an atmospheric level of $O_2$, suggesting that Hp is a capnophilic aerobe. In this study, we investigated the effects of aerobic $O_2$ tension on Hp cells by comparing gene expression profiles of cultures grown under microaerobic and aerobic conditions in the presence of 10% $CO_2$. The results showed that overall differences in gene expression in Hp cells grown under the two $O_2$ conditions were predominantly growth-phase-dependent. At 6 h, numerous genes were down-regulated under the aerobic condition, accounting for our previous observation that Hp growth was retarded under this condition. At 36 h, however, diverse groups of genes involved in energy metabolism, cellular processes, transport, and cell envelope synthesis were highly up- or down-regulated under the aerobic condition, indicating a progression of the cultures from the log phase to the stationary phase. The expression of several oxidative stress-associated genes including tagD, katA, and rocF was induced in response to aerobic $O_2$ level, whereas trxA, trxB, and ahpC remained unchanged. Altogether, these data demonstrate that aerobic $O_2$ tension is not detrimental to Hp cells but stimulates Hp growth, supporting our previous finding that Hp may be an aerobic bacterium that requires a high $CO_2$ level for its growth.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.334-342
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• 2005

The prototype Chlorella virus PBCV-l encodes 11 tRNA genes and over 350 protein-encoding genes in its 330 kbp genome. Initial attempts to overexpress the recombinant A189/192R protein, a putative virus attachment protein, in E. coli strain BL21(DE3) SI were unsuccessful, and multiple protein bands were detected on Western blots. However, the full-length A189/192R recombinant protein or fragments derived from it were detected when they were expressed in E. coli BL21 CodonPlus (DE3) RIL, which contains extra tRNAs. Codon usage analysis of the a189/192r gene showed highly biased usage of the AGA and AVA codons compared to genes encoded by E. coli and Chlorella. In addition, there were biases of XXA/U($56\%$) and XXG/ C($44\%$) in the codons recognized by the viral tRNAs, which correspond to the codon usage bias in the PBCV-1 genome of XXA/U ($63\%$) over those ending in XXC/G ($37\%$). Analysis of the codon usage in the major capsid protein and DNA polymerase showed preferential usage of codons that can be recognized by the viral tRNAs. The Asn (AAC) and Lys (AAG) codons whose corresponding tRNA genes are duplicated in the tRNA gene cluster were the most abundant (i.e., preferred) codons in these two proteins. The tRNA genes encoded in the PBCV-l genome seem to play a very important role during the synthesis of viral proteins through supplementing the tRNAs that are frequently used in viral proteins, but are rare in the host cells. In addition, these tRNAs would help the virus to adapt to a wide range of hosts by providing tRNAs that are rare in the host cells.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.56-62
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• 2003

The liver progenitor cells could form a potential target cell population fore both tumor-initiating and -promoting chemicals. Induction of drug-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes, including AhR-dependent CYP1A1, NQO-1 and AKR1C9, was detected in the rat liver epithelial WB-F344 "stem-like" cells. Additionally, WB-F344 cells express a functional, wild-type form of p53 protein, a biomarker of genotoxic events, and connexin 43, a basic structural unit of gap junctions forming an important type of intercellular communication. In this cellular model, two complementary assays have been established for detection of the modes of action associated with tumor promotion: inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and proliferative activity in confluent cells. We found that the PAHs and PCBs, which are AhR agonists, released WB-F344 cells from contact inhibition, increasing both DNA synthesis and cell numbers. Genotoxic effects of some PAHs that lead to apoptosis and cell cycle delay might interfere with the proliferative activity of PAHs. Contrary to that, the nongenotoxic low-molecular-weight PAHs and non-dioxin-like PCB congeners, abundant in the environment, did not significantly affect cell cycle and cell proliferation; however both groups of compounds inhibited GJIC in WB-F344 cells. The release from contact inhibiton by a mechanism that possibly involves the AhR activation, inhibition of GJIC and genotoxic events induced by environmental contaminants are three important modes of action that could play an important role in carcinogenic effects of toxic compounds. The relative potencies to inhibit GJIC, to induce AhR-mediated activity, and to release cells from contact inhibition were determined for a large series of PAHs and PCBs and their metabolites. In vitro bioassays based on detection of events on cellular level (deregulation of GJIC and/or proliferation) or determination of receptor-mediated activities in both ?$stem-like^{\circ}{\times}$ and hepatocyte-like liver cellular models are valuable tools for detection of modes of action of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. They may serve, together with concentration data, as a first step in their risk assessment.