• BMB Reports
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.303-306
• /
• 1998

Serine proteinase cDNA fragment from protozoan parasite Acanthamoeba culbertsoni was amplified by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) using degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved serine proteinase sequences. The amplified DNA fragment was subcloned and sequenced. The sequence analysis and alignment showed significant sequence similarity to other eukaryotic serine proteinases and conservation of the His, Asp, and Ser residues that form the catalytic triad. The cDNA fragment was cloned into the pGEMEX-1 expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. A resulting fusion protein of 56 kDa had proteolytic activity. The fusion protein reacted with sera of mice immunized with purified serine proteinase of A. culbertsoni in Western blot. Immune recognition of the fusion protein by mouse antisera suggested that the fusion protein may be valuable as a diagnostic reagent.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.299-306
• /
• 2007

Cysteine-cysteine chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) homologue cDNA was isolated from olive flounder leukocyte cDNA library. Olive flounder CCR9 homologue consisted of 1709 bp encoding 367amino acid residues. When compared with other known CCR peptide sequences, the most conserved region of the olive flounder CCR9 peptide is the seven transmembranes. A phylogenetic analysis based on the deduced amino acid sequence showed the homologous relationship between the olive flounder CCR9 sequence and that of Mouse CCR9. The olive flounder CCR9 gene was predominantly expressed in the Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), kidney, spleen, and gills.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.50-53
• /
• 2006

Cys-29 and Cys-251 of Streptomyces albus valine dehydrogenase(ValDH) were highly conserved in the corresponding region of $NAD(P)^+$-dependent amino acid dehydroganase sequences. To ascertain the functional role of these cysteine residues in S. albus ValDH, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to change each of the two residues to serine. Kinetic analyses of the enzymes mutated at Cys-29 and Cys-251 revealed that these residues are involved in catalysis. We also constructed mutant ValDH by substituting valine for leucine at 305 by site-directed mutagenesis. This residue was chosen, because it has been proposed to be important for substrate discrimination by phenylalanine dehydrogenase (PheDH) and leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH). Kinetic analysis of the V305L mutant enzyme revealed that it is involved in the substrate binding site. However it displayed less activity than the wild type enzyme toward all aliphatic and aromatic amino acids tested.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.171-176
• /
• 2000

We have cloned a ${\alpha}-COP$ homolog, ancop, from Aspergillus nidulans by colony hybridization of chromosome specific library using ${\alpha}-COP$ homologous fragment as a probe. The probe DNA was amplified with degenerated primers designed by comparison of conserved region of the amino acid sequences of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ${\alpha}-COP$, Homo sapiens HEP-COP, and Drosophila melanogaster ${\alpha}-COP$. Full length cDNA clone was also amplified by RT-PCR. Comparison of genomic DNA sequence with cDNA sequence obtained by RT-PCR revealed 7 introns. Amino acid sequence similarity search of the anCop with other ${\alpha}-COPs$ gave an overall identity of 52% with S. cerevisiae, 47% with human and bovine, 45% with Drosophila and Arabidopsis. In upstream region from the transcription start site, a putative TATA and CAAT motif were also identified.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.167-173
• /
• 1994

Poly(A)+ RNA was selected from Canavalia lineata root nodule RNA through oligo(dT) cellulose column and used for construction of a cDNA library using λgt10-EcoRI arms. The size of the library was 7.2$\times$105 pfu/mL. A full length leghemoglobin (Lb) cDNA clone, pCILb1(687 bp) isolated with soybean Lb probe, contained one open reading frame (ORF) of 447 bp with 54 bp plus 186 bp at 5' and 3' untranslated region, respectively. A consensus sequence of plant translation start region (AAAATGGG) was found at 5' untranslated region, and two polyadenylation-related sequence (AATAAA, AATAAG) and a conserved motif between them (gACTTGTT) were found upstream of poly(A)+ tail consisted of 13 (A)s at 3' untranslated region. The ORF encoded a polypeptide consisted of 149 amino acids with a molecular weight of 16.2 kD. Deduced amino acid sequences showed high degree of homology values with those of other Lbs ranging from 66% (Casuarina glauca) to 85% (Glycine max).

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.67-69
• /
• 2011

A cell-free extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide was treated in a successive simulated gastric-intestinal bioreactor (step 1: amylase digestion, step 2: gastric fluid digestion, step 3: intestinal fluid digestion) to illustrate the absorption pattern of antihypertensive ACE inhibitory peptide, and the ACE inhibitory activities of each step were determined. Total ACE inhibitory activities of step 1, step 2, and step 3 were 55.96%, 80.09%, and 76.77%, respectively. The peptide sequence of each steps was analyzed by MS/MS spectrophotometry. Eleven kinds of representative peptide sequences were conserved in each step, and representative new peptides including RLPTESVPEPK were identified in step 3.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.381-388
• /
• 2009

On screening pathogen-resistant soybean, we identified a WRKY type transcription factor named a Glycine max WRKY1 (GmWRKY1). Expression of GmWRKY1 gene was induced in the soybean sprout by Pseudomonas infection. The GmWRKY1 was expressed in all of the tissues with high levels in stems, leaves and developing seeds. The protein Gm WRKY1 contains highly conserved two WRKY DNA-binding domains having two $C_2-H_2$ zinc-finger motif ($C-X_{4-5}-C-X_{22-23}-H-X-H$) in its N-terminal and C-terminal amino acid sequences. In electrophoresis mobility shift assay, the GmWRKY1 protein bound specifically to W-box elements in the promoters of defense related genes. These results demonstrated that GmWRKY1 is one of the soybean WRKY family genes and the plant-specific transcription factors for defense processes.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.25-31
• /
• 2001

4-Aminobutyrate aminotransferase plays an essential role in the 4-aminobutyric acid shunt, converting 4-aminobutyrate to succinic semi aldehyde. We isolated and sequenced' a fish cDNA fragment that encodes 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase. A brain cDNA library from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was constructed using the ZAP- III XR vector and screened for the fish 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase gene using a probe derived from the conserved sequences of known mammalian 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferases. A partial cDNA for 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase was cloned and found to be 700 bp in length corresponding to 66 amino acids. Nucleotide sequence of the clone was aligned with NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) DNA sequence data base. The result showed high sequence identity with previously reported mammalian 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferases. The trans­criptional level of flounder 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase was detected with the presence of mRNA at different flounder tissues by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of flounder 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase was also tested and detected from the flounder tissues of the brain, liver, kidney and pancreas.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.475-483
• /
• 1998

Many antibiotics contain partially deoxygenated sugar components that are usually essential for biological activity, affinity, structural stability, and solubility of antibiotics. Gene probes of the biosynthetic genes related with the deoxysugar were obtained from PCR. Primers were designed from the conserved peptide sequences of the known dTDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratases, which are the key step enzymes in the biosynthesis of deoxysugar. The primers were applied to amplify parts of dehydratase genes to 27 actinomycetes that produce the metabolites containing deoxysugar as structural constituents. About 180 and 340 bp DNA fragments from all of the actinomycetes were produced by PCR and analyzed by Southern blot and DNA sequencing. The PCR products were used as gene probes to clone the biosynthetic gene clusters for the antibiotic mithramycin, rubradirin, spectinomycin, and elaiophyrin. This method should allow for detecting of the biosynthetic gene clusters of a vast array of secondary metabolites isolated from actinomycetes because of the widespread existence of deoxysugar constituents in secondary metabolites.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.43 no.9
• /
• pp.609-613
• /
• 2010

The Dvl and Axin proteins, which are involved in the Wnt signaling pathway, each contain a conserved DIX domain in their sequences. The DIX domain mediates interaction between Dvl and Axin, which together play an important role in signal transduction. However, the extremely low production of DIX domain fragments in E. coli has prevented more widespread functional and structural studies. In this study, we demonstrate that the DIX domains of Dvl and Axin are expressed noticeably in a multi-cistronic system but not in a mono-cistronic system. Formation of the $DIX_{Dvl1}-DIX_{Axin1}$ complex was investigated by affinity chromatography, SEC and crystallization studies. Unstable DIX domains were stabilized by complexing with counterpart DIX domains. The results of the preliminary crystallization and diffraction of the $DIX_{Dvl1}-DIX_{Axin1}$ complex may prove useful for further crystallographic studies.