• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.289-297
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• 2011

Ceramium riosmenae sp. nov. is described from Baja California Sur, Mexico based on morphological and molecular data. The new species is characterized by erect thalli only, penetrating rhizoids on Gracilaria, 7-8 periaxial cells, five cortical initials per periaxial cell, complete cortication throughout, an average of 11-12 segments between branching points, rare adventitious branchlets, and cruciate tetrasporangia. Although C. riosmenae sp. nov. is similar to C. interruptum, C. sinicola, and C. codicola reported from Baja California Sur, Mexico in size and habit, it differs from these species in the number of cortical initials, habit, degree of cortication, host, and the shape of rhizoidal tips. C. riosmenae is separated from C. interruptum with interrupted cortication and four cortical initials from C. sinicola with spins near the apex and incomplete cortication near the base and from C. codicola with bulbous rhizoids on Codium. Our rbcL sequences reveal sufficient sequence divergence (2.4-3.9%) between C. riosmenae and C. interruptum, C. sinicola, and C. codicola to warrant species recognition and to separate C. riosmenae from these species on a phylogenetic tree.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.219-226
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• 2000

The application of recombinant DNA technology to restructure metabolic net-work can change metabolite and protein products by altering the biosynthetic pathways in an organism. Although some success has been achieved, a more detailed and thorough investigation of this approach is certainly warranted since it is clear that such methods hold great potential based on the encouraging results obtained so far. In last decade, there have been tremendous advances in the field of glycobiology and the stage has been set for the biotechnological production of glycoproteins for therapeutic use. Today glycoproteins are one of the most important groups of pharmaceutical products. In this study the attempt was made to focus on identifying technologies that may have general application for modifying glycosylation pathway of the yeast cells in order to produce glycoproteins of therapeutic use. The carbohydrates of therapeutic recombinant glycoproteins play very important roles in determining their pharmacokinetic properties. A number of biological interactions and biological functions mediated by glycans are also being targeted for therapeutic manipulation in vivo. For a commercially viable production of therapeutic glycoproteins a metabolic engineering of a host cell is yet to be established.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.154-159
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• 2006

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), otherwise known as interferon-gamma-inducing factor (IGIF), is one of several well characterized and important cytokines that contribute to host defenses. The complementary DNA (cDNA) of mature human interleukin-18 gene (hIL-18) was fused with the signal peptide of the rice amylase 1A gene (Ramy1A) and introduced into the plant expression vector under the control of a duplicated CaMV 35S promoter. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Havana) using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The integration of the hlL-18 gene into the genome of transgenic tobacco plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and its expression was observed in the suspension cells that were derived from the transgenic plant callus by using Northern blot analysis. The hlL-18 protein was detected in the extracts of the transgenic callus and in the medium of the transgenic tobacco suspension culture by using immunoblot analysis. Based upon enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) results, the expression level of the hlL-18 protein approximated $166{\mu}g/L$ in the suspension culture medium. Bioassay results from the induction of $interferon-{\gamma}$ from a KG-1 cell line indicated that the hlL-18 secreted into the suspension culture medium was bioactive.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2001

Staphylokinase (SAK) was produced in B. subtilis using two different promoter systems, i.e. the P43 and sacB promoters. To maximize SAK expression in B. subtilis, fermentation control strategies for each promoter were examined. SAK, under P43, a vegetative promoter transcribed mainly by $\sigma$(sup)B containing RNA polymerase, was overexpressed at low dissolved oxygen (D.O.) levels, suggesting that the sigB operon is somewhat affected by the energy charge of the cells. The expression of SAK at the 10% D.O. level was three times higher than that at the 50% D.O. level. In the case of sacB, a sucrose-inducible promoter, sucrose feeding was used to control the induction period and induction strength. Since sucrose is hydrolyzed by two sucrose hydrolyzing enzymes in the cell and culture broth, the control strategy was based on replenishing the loss of sucrose in the culture. With continuous feeding of sucrose, WB700 (pSAKBQ), which contains the SAK gene under sacB promoter, yielded ca. 35% more SAK than the batch culture. These results present efficient promoter-dependent control strategies in B. subtilis host system for foreign protein expression.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.365-368
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• 2009

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in host defense by sensing invading microbial pathogens and initiating innate immune responses. The stimulation of TLRs by microbial components triggers the activation of myeloid differential factor 88 (MyD88)- and toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter inducing interferon-${\beta}$ (TRIF)-dependent downstream signaling pathways. Isoliquiritigenin (ILG), an active ingredient of Licorice, has been used for centuries to treat many chronic diseases. ILG inhibits the MyD88-dependent pathway by inhibiting the activity of inhibitor-${\kappa}B$ kinase. However, it is not known whether ILG inhibits the TRIF-dependent pathway. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of ILG, we examined its effect on signal transduction via the TRIF-dependent pathway of TLRs induced by several agonists. ILG inhibited nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ and interferon regulatory factor 3 activation induced by lipopolysaccharide or polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. ILG inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 3 as well as interferon-inducible genes such as interferon inducible protein-10, and regulated activation of normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). These results suggest that ILG can modulate TRIF-dependent signaling pathways of TLRs, leading to decreased inflammatory gene expression.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.796-804
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• 2017

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have been integrated into vertebrate genomes and have momentously affected host organisms. Horses (Equus caballus) have been domesticated and selected for elite racing ability over centuries. ERVs played an important role in the evolutionary diversification of the horse genome. In the present study, we identified six equine ERV families (EqERVs-E1, I1, M2, P1, S1, and Y4), their full-length viral open reading frames (ORFs), and elucidated their phylogenetic relationships. The divergence time of EqERV families assuming an evolutionary rate of 0.2%/Myr indicated that EqERV-S3 (75.4 million years ago; mya) on chromosome 10 is an old EqERV family and EqERV-P5 (1.2 Mya) on chromosome 12 is a young member. During the evolutionary diversification of horses, the EqERV-I family diverged 1.7 Mya to 38.7 Mya. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) amplification of EqERV pol genes showed greater expression in the cerebellum of the Jeju horse than the Thoroughbred horse. These results could contribute further dynamic studies for horse genome in relation to EqERV gene function.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2000

FtsH is a membrane-bound, ATP-dependent metalloprotease that is involved in a variety of cellular functions including the regulation of responses to heat and stress shock. Previously, we had cloned and sequenced pneumococcal ftsH gene whose deduced amino acid sequence was very similar to those of several gram-positive bacteria and Escherichia coli, except for the N-terminal domain that was responsible for membrane anchoring. In order to better understand the role of Streptococcus pneumoniae FtsH, we expressed pneumococcal ftsH gene in Escherichia coli. When it was expressed from a strong promoter, $P_{tac}$, a considerable amount of the recombinant FtsH was produced, although the prolonged induction resulted in not only accumulation of breakdown products but also ceasing of the further growth of E. coli host. This indicated that the expression of the exogenous ftsH gene was tightly regulated since the excessive FtsH appeared detrimental to bacterial cells. In Western blotting, the pneumococcal FtsH protein, whether native or recombinant, was reactive to anti-E. coli FtsH serum. The observation that FtsH proteins were well conserved throughout the bacterial kingdom and its expression level was fine-tuned suggests an important role for this protein in the stress adaptation which may be related to infecting process by pneumococci.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.510-518
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• 2005

In this study, we investigated whether PLGA microspheres in combination with hyaluronic acid (HA) gel have appropriate properties as a bulking agent for urologic injection therapies and whether the implantation of PLGA microspheres and HA gel induces angiogenesis in the newly formed tissues. In order to investigate whether this bulking agent is injectable, this material was injected through 24-gauge needles into the subcutaneous dorsum of the mouse. The bulking agent was easily injected without needle obstruction. Histological analyses of the hybrid tissues at 2 weeks showed that host cells at the surrounding tissues migrated into the spaces between the implanted PLGA microspheres and formed tissue-like structures. An inflammatory response to the implants was mild at 2 weeks and diminished at 8 weeks. Importantly, extensive ingrowth of blood vessels was observed in the hybrid tissues formed by the injection of PLGA microspheres and HA, whereas blood vessels rarely formed in the hybrid tissues formed by the injection of PLGA microspheres only. The implant volume was conserved for almost the entire implantation period. Histological analyses of the distant organs of the bulking agent-implanted animals, such as the lungs, liver, heart, brain, kidney, and spleen, showed no evidence of the injected microsphere migration. These results show that PLGA microspheres in combination with HA possess the appropriate characteristics for a bulking agent for urologic injection therapies and induce extensive blood vessel formation in the hybrid tissues.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.52-55
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• 2002

Flow cytometric techniques were used to investigate cell size, protein content and cell cycle behavior of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains producing human lysozyme (HLZ). Two different signal sequences, the native yeast $MF\alpha1$ signal sequence and the rat $\alpha-amylase$ signal sequence, were used for secretion of HLZ. The strain containing the rat $\alpha-amylase$ signal sequence showed a higher level of internal lysozyme and lower specific growth rates. Flow cytometric analysis of the total protein content and cell size showed the strain harboring the native yeast signal sequence had a higher total protein content than the strain containing the rat $\alpha-amylase$ signal sequence. Cell cycle analysis indicated that the two lysozyme producing recombinant strains had an increased number of cells in the $G_2+M$ phase of the yeast cell cycle compared with the host strain SEY2102.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.11a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2015

Cellular aspects of sooty mold on walnut leaves were investigated by using light and electron microscopy. A black coating developed on the adaxial leaf surface of a walnut tree. No infestations were found on the abaxial leaf surface with peltate glandular trichomes. Light microscopy showed that fungal complexes from the leaf surface were composed of brown conidia and hyphae. Conidia, with longitudinal and transverse septa, were variable in length ranging from 10 to $30{\mu}m$, and commonly found in clusters, forming microsclerotia. Neither epidermal penetration nor hyphal entrance to host tissues was observed. Based on their morphological characteristics, the fungal complexes were assumed to be Capnodium species. An electron-dense melanized layer was present on the cell wall of multi-celled conidia. Concentric bodies in the fungal cytoplasm had an electron-translucent core surrounded by an electron-dense margin with a fibrillar sheath. Chloroplasts without starch granules in the palisade mesophyll cells of sooty leaves had electron-dense stromata and swollen plastoglobuli. These results suggest that the epiphytic growth of fungal complexes can be attributed to the melanized layer and concentric bodies against a water-deficient environment on the leaf surface. Ultrastructural characteristics of the sooty leaves indicate typical features of dark-adapted and non-photosynthetic shade leaves.