• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1249-1255
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• 2004

This study has developed Corynebacterium ammoniagenes (c. ammoniagenes) purine gene transcriptional reporters (purF-lacZ and purE-lacZ) that function in Escherichia coli (E. coli) DH5a. After transformation of a C. ammoniagenes gDNA library into E. coli cells harboring either purF-lacZ or purE-lacZ, C. ammoniagenes clones were obtained that repress purF-lacZ and purE-lacZ gene expression. The potential purE and purF regulatory genes are homologous to the genes encoding transcription regulators, the regulatory subunit of RNA polymerase, and genes for purine nucleotide biosynthesis of various bacteria. The C. ammoniagenes purE-lacZ and purF-lacZ reporters were repressed by adenine and guanine within E. coli, indicating similarity in the regulatory mechanism of purine biosynthesis in C. ammoniagenes and E. coli. Gene regulation of pur-lacZ by adenine and guanine was partly abolished in cells expressing potential purine regulatory genes, indicating functionality of the purine gene regulators in repression of purE-lacZ and purF-lacZ. The purE-lacZ and purF-lacZ reporters can be used for the screening of genes involved in the regulation of the de novo synthesis of the purine nucleotides.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.505-513
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• 1995

P-lement mediated enhancer detector lines (EDla) were screened for reporter gene (1acZ expression In the ovary of Drosophila mejanogaster Cell-type spedfic 1acZ expression can be grouped Into three parts such as in the geimline, soma, and both. LacZ expression In germline cells was devided into 2 types; expression in nurse cells or in both of the nurse cells and oocote. In the stage-9 to stage-lO follicles, lacZ expression was observed either In the whole follicle cells around oocote or in the subpopulation of follicle cells in egg chamber. lacZ expression in the subset of follicle cells are showed in the centripetal follicle cells or the columnar follicle cells except centripetal follicle cells. Several lines showed anterior to postedor gradient pattern of lacZ expression in the follicle cells. Interestingly there were 3 lines in which lacZ was expressed In the polar cells and/or the horder cells of egg chamber. These lacZ expression patterns in the different ovarian cells of independent EDla reflect the cell type-spedflc expression of maternal genes nesr the P-element insertion, and might provide a basis for cloning of genes involved in oogenesis of Drosophila.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.50-57
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• 1999

STATs activated by various cytokine and growth factors trigger a quick response in the nucleus and induce changes in gene expression. We have found the sequences homologous to STAT binding site in the 5'-flanking region of the D-raf gene. In this study, we examined role of the STAT binding site in D-raf gene promoter activity in vivo by using transgenic flies. The reporter plasmid pDraf-STATmut-lacZ was constructed by fusing D-raf promoter fragment having the base-substituted STAT binding site with the lacZ gene in a P-element vector. Transgenic flies bearing the Draf-STATmut-lacZ fusion genes were established by P-element mediated transformation. The expression of lacZ in transgenic flies bearing Draf-STATmut-lacZ fusion genes carrying base substitution in STAT site throughout various developmental stages was extensively reduced in comparison with that in transgenic flies bearing wild type Draf-lacZ fusion gene. These results show that the STAT binding site plays an important role in regulation of the D-raf gene.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 1994

KEM1 is known to control the spindle pole body or microtubule function, probably in response to the cellular nutritional conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transposon insertions were performed in the cloned KEM1 gene using mini-Tn10-LUK element carrying E. coli ${\beta}$-galactosidase structural gene. A collection of ranfom Tn10-LUK insertions defined an approximately 3.5 kb region required for the KEM1 function. From this collection functional KEM1::lacZ protein fusions were identified. Indirect immunofluorescence using anti-${\beta}$-galacatosidase antibodies localized the KEM1::lacZ fusion protein to the periphery of the nucleus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.585-591
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• 2001

To compare the p10 promoter activity of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)K1 and K4, recombinant viruses Bm101-LacZ and Bm104-LacZ with a lacZ gene under the control of each p10 promoter were constructed. The $\beta$-galactosidase activity due to Bm101-LacZ was about 5.5- and 1.1-fold higher than that due to Bm104-LacZ and BmK1-LacZ, respectively. expressing ${\beta}$-galactosidase under the control of a polyhedrin promoter. The recombinant virus BmK1-104LacZ with the same genome structure as Bm101-LacZ, except for a p10 promoter region, produced a similar ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity to that due to Bm104-LacZ and 5.5-fold lower than that due to Bm101-LacZ. The virus yield, expression level of polyhedrin, and polyhedra productivity for each recombinant virus was almost similar. These results suggested that the difference in the expression level of ${\beta}$-galactosidase resulted from a difference in the p10 promoter regions, and that an expression vector using the p10 promoter of BmNPV-K1 could be usefully exploited in the mass production of foreign proteins with silkworm larvae by means of oral ingestion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.676-684
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• 1998

Baculovirus transfer and expression vectors with Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HcNPV) were constructed. An initial transfer vector, pHcEV, constructed using HcNPV was previously reported (Park et al. 1993. J. Kor. Soc. Viral. 23: 141-151). Herein, the size of the vector was properly reduced, and a functionally perfect vector was constructed and named pHcEV-IV (6.7 kb). The vector has a 2.2-kb HcNPV DNA sequence in the 5'-flanking region of the vector's polyhedrin gene promoter. The 1.8-kb HcNPV DNA sequence, poly A signal sequence, T3 primer sequence, and 13 multicloning site sequences, in order, were ligated in front of the translation start codon of the polyhedrin gene. The cloning indicating marker lacZ gene was inserted into the pHcEV-IV, named pHcEV-IV-lacZ, and transferred into the wild-type virus. Recombinant expression virus, lacZ-HcNPV, was constructed by replacing the lacZ gene in the pHcEV-IV-lacZ with the polyhedrin gene of the wild-type virus. The recombinant virus was isolated from blue plaques that produce $\beta$-galactosidase without polyhedra. The lacZ gene insertion was confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis. The expression of the lacZ gene in Spodoptera frugiperda cells infected with the lacZ-HcNPV was examined by SDS-PAGE and colorimetric assay. One 116-kDa LacZ protein band appeared on the PAGE. The production rate of the $\beta$-galactosidase was approximately 50 international units (IU) per min per ml between 2 to 5 days postinfection (p.i.). The highest activity occurred at five days p.i. was 170 IU/min/$m\ell$. The enzyme activity first appeared about 20 h p.i. as measured by colorimetric assay.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.269-275
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• 1998

The reporter plasmid pMT-lacZ containing the metallothionein (MT) promoter region (-320∼+58 with respect to the transcription initiation site) fused to the lacZ gene in a P-element vector was constructed. Transgenic Drosophila bearing the MT-lacZ fusion gene were established by P-element mediated transformation. Expression of the MT-lacZ fusion gene in transformants was examined during development. By treatment with low concentration of cadmium (>1O uM) or paraquat (>50 uM), increased expression of B-galactosidase was shown in fat body, brain lobe, and ganglion transgenic larval tissues. The results show that transformants bearing the MT-lacZ fusion gene are useful for further studies on the mechanism of regulation of MT gene expression and for monitoring toxic metals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 1997

Single P[en-lacZ] element including 5.7 kb of engrailed upstream sequences and the E. coli lacZ fusion gene, localized on 48A in rxyho25 strain was transposed to different sites in the Drosophila genome by the jumpstart technique. From 3315 individual genetic crosses, 113 new insertion lines carrying P[en-lacZ] inserted at different sites were obtained. $\beta$-Galactosidase expression in larval tissues of 113 insertion lines were detected by X-gal staining. & among 113 lines have been indentified to be for recessive lethal mutations. Among 7 lines, the #1119 line being lethal during embryogenesis was examined about the ${\beta}$$-Galactosidase expression, nuclear behavior and cellularization pattern during embryogenesis. The P[en-lacZ] insertion lines obtained in this study could be utilized for studying structure and function of the Drosophila development-related genes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.45-67
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• 2000

2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) is a mutagenic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amino found in cooked meat. The in vivo mutagenicity and hepatocarcinogenicity of MeIQx were examined in mice harboring the lacZ mutation reporter gene ($Muta^{TM}$ Mice) and bitransgenic mice over-expressing the c-myc oncogene. C57B1/$\lambda$lacZ and bitransgenic c-myc (albumin promoter)/$\lambda$lacZ mice were bred and weaned onto an AIN-76 based diet containing $0.06\%$ (w/w) MeIQx or onto control diet. After 30 weeks on diet, only male bitransgenic mice on MeIQx developed hepatocellular carcinoma ($100\%$ incidence) indicating that there was synergism between c-myc over-expression and MeIQx. By 40 weeks, hepatic tumor incidence was $100\%$ ($17\%$) and $44\%$ ($0\%$) in male c-myc/$\lambda$lacZ and C57B1/$\lambda$lacZ mice given MeIQx (or control) diet, respectively, indicating that either MeIQx or c-myc over-expression alone eventually induced hepatic tumors. At either time point, mutant frequency in the lacZ gene was at least 40-fold higher in MeIQx-treated mice than in control mice of either strain. These findings suggest that MeIQx-induced hepatocarcinogenesis is associated with MeIQx-induced mutations. Elevated mutant frequency in MeIQx-treated mice also occurred concomitant with the formation of MeIQx-guanine adducts as detected by the $^{32}P$-postlabeling assay. Irrespective of strain or diet, sequence analysis of the lacZ mutants from male mouse liver showed that the principal sequence alteration was a single guanine-base substitution. Adenine mutations, however, were detected only in animals on control diet. MeIQx-fed mice harboring the c-myc oncogene showed a l.4-2.6-fold higher mutant frequency in the lacZ gene than mice not carrying the transgene. Although there was a trend toward higher adduct levels in c-myc mice, MeIQx-DNA adduct levels were not significantly different between c-myc/$\lambda$lacZ and C57B1/$\lambda$lacZ mice after 30 weeks on diet. Thus, it appeared that factors in addition to MeIQx-DNA adduct levels, such as the enhance rate of proliferation associated with c-myc over-expression, may have accounted for a higher mutant frequency in c-myc mice. In the control diet groups, the lacZ mutant frequency was significantly higher in c-myc/$\lambda$lacZ mice than in 057B1/$\lambda$1acZ mice. The findings are consistent with the notion that c-myc over-expression is associated with an increase in mutagenesis. The mechanism for the synergistic effects of c-myc over-expression on MeIQx hepatocarcinogenicity appears to involve an enhancement of MeIQx-induced mutations.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2011

Using tetrameric ${\beta}$-galactosidase as a model protein, anchoring motives were screened in Bacillus subtilis spore display system. Eleven spore coat proteins were selected considering their expression levels and the location in the spore coat layer. After chromosomal single-copy homologous integration in the amyE site of Bacillus subtilis chromosome, cotE and cotG were chosen as possible spore surface anchoring motives with their higher whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity. PAGE and Wester blot of extracted fraction of outer layer of purified spore, which express CotE-LacZ or CotG-LacZ fusion verified the existence of exact size of fusion protein and its location in outer coat layer of purified spore. ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity of spore with CotE-LacZ or CotG-LacZ fusion reached its highest value around 16~20 h of culture time in terms of whole cell and purified spore. After intensive spore purification with lysozyme treatment and renografin treatment, spore of BJH135, which expresses CotE-LacZ, retained only 1~2% of its whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity. Whereas spore of BJH136, which has cotG-lacZ cassette in the chromosome, retained 10~15% of its whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity, proving minor perturbation of CotG-LacZ, when incorporated in the spore coat layer of Bacillus subtilis compared to CotE-LacZ. Usage of Bacillus subtilis WB700, of which 7 proteases are knocked-out and thereby resulting in 99.7% decrease in protease activity of the host, did not prevent the proteolytic degradation of spore surface expressed CotG-LacZ fusion protein.