• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.11.1-11.20
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• 2022

Vibrio harveyi belongs to the Vibrio genus that causes vibriosis in marine and aquatic fish species through double-stranded DNA virus replication. In humans, around 12 Vibrio species can cause gastroenteritis (gastrointestinal illness). A large amount of virus particles can be found in the cytoplasm of infected cells, which may cause death. Despite these devastating complications, there is still no cure or vaccine for the virus. As a result, we used an immunoinformatics approach to develop a multi-epitope vaccine against most pathogenic hemolysin gene of V. harveyi. The immunodominant T- and B-cell epitopes were identified using the hemolysin protein. We developed a vaccine employing three possible epitopes: cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, helper T-lymphocytes, and linear B-lymphocyte epitopes, after thorough testing. The vaccine was developed to be antigenic, immunogenic, and non-allergenic, as well as having a better solubility. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed significant structural stiffness and binding stability. In addition, the immunological simulation generated by computer revealed that the vaccination might elicit immune reactions in the actual life after injection. Finally, using Escherichia coli K12 as a model, codon optimization yielded ideal GC content and a higher codon adaptation index value, which was then included in the cloning vector pET2+ (a). Altogether, our experiment implies that the proposed peptide vaccine might be a good option for vibriosis prophylaxis.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.41-54
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• 2023

The blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans Van der Linden, 1820 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), is a climate-sensitive indicator species in South Korea. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of I. elegans collected from South Korea for subsequent population genetic analysis, particularly to trace population movements in response to climate change. The 15,963 base pair (bp)-long complete mitogenome of I. elegans has typical sets of genes including a major non-coding region (the A+T-rich region), and an arrangement identical to that observed in ancestral insect species. The ATP6, ND3 and ND1 genes have the TTG start codon, which, although rare, is the canonical start codon for animal mitochondrial tRNA. The A/T content was 71.4% in protein-coding genes, 72.1% in tRNAs, 72.9% in the whole genome, 74.7% in srRNA, 75.3% in lrRNA, and 83.8% in the A+T-rich region. The A+T-rich region is unusually long (1,196 bp) and contains two subunits (192 bp and 176-165 bp), each of which is tandemly triplicated and surrounded by non-repeat sequences. Comparison of the sequence divergence among available mitogenomes of I. elegans, including the one from the current study, revealed ND2 as the most variable gene, followed by COII and COI, suggesting that ND2 should be targeted first in subsequent population-level studies. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on all available mitogenome sequences of Coenagrionidae showed a strong sister relationship between I. elegans and I. senegalensis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.804-811
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• 2024

Foamy viruses (FVs) are generally recognized as non-pathogenic, often causing asymptomatic or mild symptoms in infections. Leveraging these unique characteristics, FV vectors hold significant promise for applications in gene therapy. This study introduces a novel platform technology using a pseudo-virus with single-round infectivity. In contrast to previous vector approaches, we developed a technique employing only two vectors, pcHFV lacking Env and pCMV-Env, to introduce the desired genes into target cells. Our investigation demonstrated the efficacy of the prototype foamy virus (PFV) dual-vector system in producing viruses and delivering transgenes into host cells. To optimize viral production, we incorporated the codon-optimized Env (optEnv) gene in pCMV-Env and the Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Posttranscriptional Regulatory Element (WPRE) at the 3' end of the transgene in the transfer vector. Consequently, the use of optEnv led to a significant enhancement in transgene expression in host cells. Additionally, the WPRE exhibited an enhancing effect. Furthermore, the introduced EGFP transgene was present in host cells for a month. In an effort to expand transgene capacity, we further streamlined the viral vector, anticipating the delivery of approximately 4.3 kbp of genes through our PFV dual-vector system. This study underscores the potential of PFVs as an alternative to lentiviruses or other retroviruses in the realm of gene therapy.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.406-414
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• 2016

Among 6 leu codons, CUG is the most frequently used codon in E. coli. It is recognized by leu-tRNA(CAG) encoded by four genes scattered on two chromosomal loci (leuT and leuPQV ). In the process of constructing a strain with no functional leu-tRNA (CAG) gene on chromosome, we made two mutant strains separately, one on leuPQV locus (${\Delta}leuPQV$), and the other on leuT locus [$leuT^*$(GAG)], where the anticodon of leuT was changed from CAG to GAG, thereby altering its recognition codon from CUG to CUC. We attempted to combine these two mutations by transduction using $leuT^*$(GAG) strain as a donor and ${\Delta}leuPQV$ strain as a recipient. Large and small colonies appeared from this transduction. From PCR and DNA sequencing, large colony was confirmed to be the reciprocal recombinant as expected, but the small colonies contained both mutant $leuT^*$(GAG) and wild type leuT (CAG) genes in the cell. This heterozygous diploid strain did not show any unusual morphology under microscopic observation, but, interestingly, it showed a linear growth curve in rich medium with much slower growth rate than wild type cell. It always formed homogenous small colonies in the selection medium, but, when there was no selection, it readily segregated into $leuT^*$(GAG) and leuT (CAG). From these observations, we suggested that the strain with both $leuT^*$(GAG) and leuT (CAG) genes was not a partial diploid (merodiploid), but a full diploid cell having two different chromosomes. We proposed a model explaining how such a heterozygous diploid cell was formed and how and why its growth showed a linear growth curve.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 1993

The nucleotide sequence of Bacillus sp. bacteriolytic enzyme gene, lytP and its flanking regions were determined. A unique open reading frame for a protein of Mw. 27, 000, and a putative terminator sequence, were found behind a concensus ribosome binding site located 8 nt upstream from ATG start codon. The primary amino acid sequence deduced from nucleotide sequence revealed a putative protein of 255 amino acid residues with an Mw. of 27, 420. No significant homology could be found between the amino acid sequence of Bacillus sp. bacteriolytic enzyme and that of other cell wall hydrolases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Aquaculture Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.42-42
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• 2003

The far eastern catfish (Silurus asotus) growth hormone (GH) gene was cloned and characterized. The complete nucleotide sequences of genomic GH gene sequences as well as a catfish GH cDNA were obtained by RT-PCR and gene filter screening. The GH cDNA and genomic gene span 1.0 and 1.8 kb from the start codon to the polyadenylation signal, respectively. Both on cDNA and gDNA GH genes, the sequence polymorphism was detected including various silence mutations. The genomic GH gene comprised of only four exons and three introns, which was novel type of fish GH gene structure. The evolutionary relation of the catfish GH gene was inferred based on the comparative phylogenic analysis using the gene structures and sequences.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 1999

Simple and rapid screening methods were developed to screen mutant strains of Trigonopsis variabilis ATCC10679 (TW). D-amino acid oxidase (D-AAO) from a mutant strain, T26, showed about 30% higher specific activity against cephalosporin C than from its wild type, TW. D-AAO genes from both TW and T26 strains were cloned and sequenced. There was one nucleotide changed from T to C at 811 position, resulting in an amino acid codon changed from Phe-258 to Ser-258.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.736-738
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• 2003

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the key enzyme in the synthetic pathway of polyamines. This enzyme is a homodimeric and a pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme. We have isolated, a cDNA clone encoding ODC from brain cDNA library constructed from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). The ODC cDNA contained a complete ORF consisting of 460 amino acids and one stop codon with comparison to nucleotide sequences of the flounder, zebrafish and rat ODC genes, the ODC genes were highly conserved. The transcription of ODC was analyzed with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) species in brain, kidney, liver, and embryo.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 1998

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core proteins from two different isolates (HCV-1 and HCV-RH) were expressed in Spotioptera Jrugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. The RH core consisted of two major species of proteins (21 kDa and 19 kDa). On the other hand, the HCV-1 core was approximately 16 kDa in a SDS-PAGE gel. Both core proteins were phosphorylated in vivo on serine residues. Furthermore, the RH core but not HCV-1 core formed dimers, indicating that the protein conformation of the core in these two isolates is dfferent from one another. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the RH core was present in the cytoplasm, whereas the HCV-1 core was localized predominantly to the nucleus in recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells. Since the major difference between the two isolates is the codon 9 of the core protein, a single amino acid substitution appears to play a major role in the protein conformation and these properties may reflect the different biological functions of core proteins in HCV-infected cells.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.59-61
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• 2000

A single nucleotide polymorphism in the transforming growth factor-$\beta$ type II receptor (TGE$\beta$RII) gene of the rat was studied. TGF$\beta$RII is a tumor suppressor that is frequently inactivated by mutation in human colon cancers. A novel nucleotide polymorphism of G to A(or A to G), which causes a silent mutation at codon 129, was found in G:C rich sequence in the TGF$\beta$RII gene of Sprague-Dawley rats. The results suggest that genetic polymorphism occures without a strain of the laboratory animal.