• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2012

Glycolysis is responsible for the conversion of glucose into pyruvate and for supplying reducing power and several metabolites. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (AtFBA1), a central enzyme in the glycolysis pathway, was isolated by functional complementation of the salt-sensitive phenotype of a calcineurin (CaN)-deficient yeast mutant. Under high salinity conditions, aldolase activity and the concentration of NADH were compromised. However, expression of AtFBA1 maintained aldolase activity and the NADH level in yeast cells. AtFBA1 shares a high degree of sequence identity with known class I type aldolases, and its expression was negatively regulated by stress conditions including NaCl. The fusion protein GFP-AtFBA1 was localized in the cytosol of Arabidopsis protoplasts. The seed germination and root elongation of AtFBA1 knock-out plants exhibited sensitivity to ABA and salt stress. These results indicate that AtFBA1 expression and aldolase activity is important for stress tolerance in yeast and plants.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.323-326
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• 2009

SR proteins are essential splicing regulators and also modulate alternative splicing events, which function both as redundant and substrate-specific manner. The Drosophila B52/SRp55, a member of the SR protein family, is essential for the fly development in vivo, as deletion of B52 gene results in lethality of animals at the second instar larval stage. Identification of the splicing target genes of B52 thus should be crucial for the understanding of the specific developmental role of B52 in vivo. In this study, we performed whole-genome DNA microarray experiments with a B52- knock-out animal. Analysis of the microarray data not only provided the B52-dependent gene expression signature, but also revealed a larval-stage specific, alternative splicing target gene of B52. Our result thus provides a starting point to understand the essential function of B52 at the organismal level.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.177-183
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• 2008

Ac/Ds mutant lines of this study were transgenic rice plants, each of which harbored the maize transposable element Ds together with a GUS coding sequence under the control of a promoterless(Ds-GUS). We selected the mutants that were GUS expressed lines, because the GUS positive lines will be useful for identifying gene function in rice. One of these mutants was identified knock-out at Oszinc626(NP_001049991) gene, encoding a RING-H2 zinc-finger protein, by Ds insertion. In this mutant, while primary root development is normal, secondary root development from lateral root was very poor and seed development was incomplete compare with normal plant. RING zinc-finger proteins play important roles in the regulation of development in a variety of organisms. In the plant kingdom, a few genes encoding RING zinc-finger proteins have been documented with visible effects on plant growth and development. The consensus of the RING-H2(C3-H2-C3 type) domain for this group of protein is $Cys-X_2-Cys-X_{28}-Cys-X-His-X_2-His-X_2-Cys-X_{14}-Cys-X_2-Cys$. Oszinc626 encodes a predicted protein product of 445 amino acids residues with a molecular mass of 49 kDa, with a RING-zinc-finger motif located at the extreme end of the C-terminus. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of Oszinc626 gene was induced by IAA, cold, dehydration, high-salinity and abscisic acid, but not by 2,4-D, and the transcription of Oszinc626 gene accumulated primarily in rice immature seeds, root meristem and shoots. The gene accumulation patterns were corresponded with GUS expression.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2011

The Bacillus subtilis pyrimidine biosynthetic (pyr) operon encodes all of the enzymes for the de novo biosynthesis of Uridine monophosphate (UMP) and additional cistrones encoding a uracil permease and the regulatory protein PyrR. The PyrR is a bifunctional protein with pyr mRNA-binding regulatory funtion and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase activity. To study the global regulation by the pyrR deletion, the proteome comparison between Bacillus subtilis DB104 and Bacillus subtilis DB104 ${\Delta}$pyrR in the minimal medium without pyrimidines was employed. Proteome analysis of the cytosolic proteins from both strains by 2D-gel electrophoresis showed the variations in levels of protein expression. On the silver stained 2D-gel with an isoelectric point (pI) between 4 and 10, about 1,300 spots were detected and 172 spots showed quantitative variations in which 42 high quantitatively variant proteins were identified. The results showed that production of the pyrimidine biosynthetic enzymes (PyrAA, PyrAB, PyrB, PyrC, PyrD, and PyrF) were significantly increased in B. subtilis DB104 ${\Delta}$pyrR. Besides, proteins associated carbohydrate metabolism, elongation protein synthesis, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, motility, tRNA synthetase, catalase, ATP-binding protein, and cell division protein FtsZ were overproduced in the PyrR-deficient mutant. Based on analytic results, the PyrR might be involved a number of other metabolisms or various phenomena in the bacterial cell besides the pyrimidine biosynthesis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.381-390
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• 2006

Astaxanthine is a pigment that belongs to the family of the xanthophylls, the oxygenated derivatives of carotenoids whose synthesis in plants derives from lycopene. Astaxanthine is also a carotenoid widely used in salmonid and crustacean aquaculture to provide the pink color characteristic of that. Recent study reported that astaxanthine has the role as a detoxicant against the free radicals. On our study, we estimated the genotoxicity in ICR mice and possibility as antioxidant reagents of mutant Phaffia rhodozyma strain over expressing the astaxanthine by gamma-lay and carophyll pink including astaxanthine in apoE knock out mice, respectively. In our study, we administered Phaffia rhodozyma (2 mg and 3 mg) and carophyll pink for 4 and 8 week. The clinical sign and mortality were not detected compared with control groups. In the mutant frequency of hprt gene and chromosome aberration in splenic cells, there was not detected abnormality. There was not critical change in hematological and serum biochemical test compared to control. In expression level of repair enzyme, increase of catalase were detected and increase of expression level of Nrf-2 was detected in Phaffia rhodozyma (3 mg) and carophyll pink in 8 week treated group. In GSH level, the group of treated with Phaffia rhodozyma (3 mg) showed the increase of the GSH. In conclusion, mutant Phaffia rhodozyma and caphyll pink may be applied to the effective food additives to reduce the free radical.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.578-583
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• 2018

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein complexes that function to protect eukaryotic chromosomes from recombination and erosion. Several telomere binding proteins (TBPs) have been characterized in higher plants, but their detailed in vivo functions at the plant level are largely unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized OsTRFL1 (Oryza sativa Telomere Repeat-binding Factor Like 1) in rice, a monocot model crop. Although OsTRFL1 did not directly bind to telomere repeats $(TTTAGGG){_4}$ in vitro, it was associated with telomeric sequences in planta. OsTRFL1 interacted with rice TBPs, such as OsTRBF1 and RTBP1, in yeast and plant cells as well as in vitro. Thus, it seems likely that the association of OsTRFL1 with other TBPs enables OsTRFL1 to bind to telomeres indirectly. T-DNA inserted OsTRFL1 knock-out mutant rice plants displayed significantly longer telomeres (6-25 kb) than those (5-12 kb) in wild-type plants, indicating that OsTRFL1 is a negative factor for telomere lengthening. The reduced levels of OsTRFL1 caused serious developmental defects in both vegetative and reproductive organs of rice plants. These results suggest that OsTRFL1 is an essential factor for the proper maintenance of telomeres and normal development of rice.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2012

Interdigital tissue regression is one of the most well-known examples of embryonic programmed cell death, providing the mechanism behind separation of developing digits. Caspases have been shown to play a key part in this process, with activated caspase-3 localized between the developing digits. In caspase-3 knock-out adult mice, however, the digits are completely separated with no webbing. In other mutants with defects in the apoptotic machinery, such as Apaf1 deficient mice, interdigital tissue regression is initially inhibited but the webbing eventually disappears as alternative/additional cell death mechanisms step in. In order to investigate whether a similar temporal effect occurs after loss of caspase-3, we have used an in vitro approach to inhibit caspase-3 at specific times during digit separation. Previous limb explant culture approaches have encountered problems with proper limb development in culture, and thus a modified technique was used. The new approach enables detailed observation of the effects of caspase-3 inhibition on interdigital regression. Using these methods, we show that caspase-3 inhibition caused a delay in the loss of interdigital tissue compared with control explants, similar to that observed in Apaf1 mutant mice. Along with immunohistochemistry, active caspase-3 positive cells of the interdigital vs. digital regions were measured by flow cytometry. Notably, activated caspase-3 in vivo was found not only in the interdigital mesenchyme but also in the TUNEL negative digit region, supporting a role for caspase-3 in nonapoptotic events.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.357-366
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• 2019

We first confirmed the involvement of MalQ (4-${\alpha}$-glucanotransferase) in Escherichia coli glycogen breakdown by both in vitro and in vivo assays. In vivo tests of the knock-out mutant, ${\Delta}malQ$, showed that glycogen slowly decreased after the stationary phase compared to the wild-type strain, indicating the involvement of MalQ in glycogen degradation. In vitro assays incubated glycogen-mimic substrate, branched cyclodextrin (maltotetraosyl-${\beta}$-CD: G4-${\beta}$-CD) and glycogen phosphorylase (GlgP)-limit dextrin with a set of variable combinations of E. coli enzymes, including GlgX (debranching enzyme), MalP (maltodextrin phosphorylase), GlgP and MalQ. In the absence of GlgP, the reaction of MalP, GlgX and MalQ on substrates produced glucose-1-P (glc-1-P) 3-fold faster than without MalQ. The results revealed that MalQ led to disproportionate G4 released from GlgP-limit dextrin to another acceptor, G4, which is phosphorylated by MalP. In contrast, in the absence of MalP, the reaction of GlgX, GlgP and MalQ resulted in a 1.6-fold increased production of glc-1-P than without MalQ. The result indicated that the G4-branch chains of GlgP-limit dextrin are released by GlgX hydrolysis, and then MalQ transfers the resultant G4 either to another branch chain or another G4 that can immediately be phosphorylated into glc-1-P by GlgP. Thus, we propose a model of two possible MalQ-involved pathways in glycogen degradation. The operon structure of MalP-defecting enterobacteria strongly supports the involvement of MalQ and GlgP as alternative pathways in glycogen degradation.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2015

In filamentous fungi, velvet complex associated with the veA gene plays pivotal roles in development and secondary metabolism. In a model fungus Aspergillus nidulans, many proteins that can interact with VeA, including two methyltransferases VipB and VipC, have been isolated and characterized. In this study, we isolated homologs of the vipB and vipC genes in the human opportunistic pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus and named AfuvipB and AfuvipC. The AfuvipB gene, annotated as Afu3g14920 in the Aspergillus Genome Database (AspGD) database, consists of 1,510 bp interrupted with 10 introns yielding 336 amino acid-long putative methyltransferase protein. Similarly, AfuvipC, which is Afu8g01930, has 10 introns and encodes a polypeptide with 339 amino acids having a methyltransferase domain in the middle of the protein. To characterize the function of the genes in A. fumigatus, knock-out mutants were generated and the phenotypes were observed. Deletion of AfuvipB gene caused no obvious phenotypic change on point inoculation but showed smaller colony than wild-type when the mutant was subjected to culture on single spore-driven culture condition. However, AfuvipC deletion mutant demonstrated no phenotypic difference from wild type both in point inoculation and streaking cultures. These results indicate that the two methyltransfereases might have a redundant role and could be dispensable in normal culture conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.1 s.68
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• pp.124-131
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• 2005

The regulation of gene expression plays an important rolet in cell cycle controls. In this study, a novel $mas3^+$ (mitosis associated protein) gene, a homolog of human SMARCADl, was isolated and characterized from a fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The overall homology between the helicase proteins of the two species is $87\%$. This DEAD/H box-containing molecule has seven highly conserved sequence regions that allow us to place it in the SNF2 family of the helicase superfamily. Knock-out cell of $mas3^+$ gene was constructed using kanMX6 as a selection marker. Survival of mas3 null mutant exposed to UV or MMS was similar to those of wild type cells. $mas3^+$ expression was lowest at $G_2$ and gradually increased. Cytokinesis of mas3 null mutant was abnormal at $26^{\circ}C\;and\;35^{\circ}C$ and a large number of multi-septate cells were produced. These results indicate that the $mas3^+$ is involved in cytokinesis and cell shape control.