• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.265-275
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• 2002

Flavonoid biosynthesis is one of the most extensively studied areas in the secondary metabolism. Due to the study of flavonoid metabolism in diverse plant system, the pathways become the best characterized secondary metabolites and can be excellent targets for metabolic engineering. These flavonoid-derived secondary metabolites have been considerably divergent functional roles: floral pigment, anticancer, antiviral, antitoxin, and hepatoprotective. Three species have been significant for elucidating the flavonoid metabolism and isolating the genes controlling the flavonoid genes: maize (Zea mays), snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) and petunia (Prtunia hybrida). Recently, many genes involved in biosynthesis of flavonoid have been isolated and characterized using mutation and recombinant DNA technologies including transposon tagging and T-DNA tagging which are novel approaches for the discovery of uncharacterized genes. Metabolic engineering of flavonoid biosynthesis was approached by sense or antisense manipulation of the genes related with flavonoid pathway, or by modified expression of regulatory genes. So, the use of a variety of experimental tools and metabolic engineering facilitated the characterization of the flavonoid metabolism. Here we review recent progresses in flavonoid metabolism: confirmation of genes, metabolic engineering, and applications in the industrial use.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1465-1480
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• 2021

Violacein, a purple pigment first isolated from a gram-negative coccobacillus Chromobacterium violaceum, has gained extensive research interest in recent years due to its huge potential in the pharmaceutic area and industry. In this review, we summarize the latest research advances concerning this pigment, which include (1) fundamental studies of its biosynthetic pathway, (2) production of violacein by native producers, apart from C. violaceum, (3) metabolic engineering for improved production in heterologous hosts such as Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Yarrowia lipolytica, (4) biological/pharmaceutical and industrial properties, (5) and applications in synthetic biology. Due to the intrinsic properties of violacein and the intermediates during its biosynthesis, the prospective research has huge potential to move this pigment into real clinical and industrial applications.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.110-116
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• 2022

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are emerging as alternatives to plastics by replacing fossil fuels with renewable raw substrates. Herein, we present the construction of engineered Escherichia coli strains to produce short-chain-length PHAs (scl-PHAs), including the monomers 4-hydroxyvalerate (4HV) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) produced from levulinic acid (LA). First, an E. coli strain expressing genes (lvaEDABC) from the LA metabolic pathway of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 was constructed to generate 4HV-CoA and 3HV-CoA. Second, both PhaAB enzymes from Cupriavidus necator H16 were expressed to supply 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB)-CoA from acetyl-CoA. Finally, PHA synthase (PhaC_Cv) from Chromobacterium violaceum was introduced for the subsequent polymerization of these three monomers. The resulting E. coli strains produced four PHAs (w/w% of dry cell weight): 9.1 wt% P(4HV), 1.7 wt% P(3HV-co-4HV), 24.2 wt% P(3HB-co-4HV), and 35.6 wt% P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HV).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1574-1582
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• 2020

Flavonoids have diverse biological functions in human health. All flavonoids contain a common 2-phenyl chromone structure (C6-C3-C6) as a scaffold. Hence, in using such a scaffold, plenty of high-value-added flavonoids can be synthesized by chemical or biological catalyzation approaches. (2S)-Naringenin is one of the most commonly used flavonoid scaffolds. However, biosynthesizing (2S)-naringenin has been restricted not only by low production but also by the expensive precursors and inducers that are used. Herein, we established an induction-free system to de novo biosynthesize (2S)-naringenin in Escherichia coli. The tyrosine synthesis pathway was enhanced by overexpressing feedback inhibition-resistant genes (aroG^fbr and tyrA^fbr) and knocking out a repressor gene (tyrR). After optimizing the fermentation medium and conditions, we found that glycerol, glucose, fatty acids, potassium acetate, temperature, and initial pH are important for producing (2S)-naringenin. Using the optimum fermentation medium and conditions, our best strain, Nar-17LM1, could produce 588 mg/l (2S)-naringenin from glucose in a 5-L bioreactor, the highest titer reported to date in E. coli.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.269-282
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• 2000

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids are a diverse group of natural products that include many pharmacologically active compounds produced in a limited number of plant families. Despite their complexity, intensive biochemical research has extended our knowledge of the chemistry and enzymology of many important benzylisoquinoline alkaloid pathways, such as those leading to the analgesic drugs morphine and codeine, and the antibiotics sanguinarine and berberine. The use of cultured plant cells as an experimental system has facilitated the identification and characterization of more than 30 benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic enzymes, and the molecular cloning of the genes that encode at least 8 of these enzymes. The recent expansion of biochemical and molecular technologies has creat-ed unique opportunities to dissect the mechanisms involved in the regulation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in plants. Research has suggested that product accumulation is controlled by the developmental and inducible regulation of several benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes, and by the subcellular compartmentation of biosynthetic enzymes and the intracellular localization and trafficking of pathway intermediates. In this paper, we review our current understanding of the biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular regulation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in plants. We also summarize our own research activities, especially those related to the establishment of protocols for the genetic transformation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid-producing species, and the development of metabolic engineering strategies in these plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.352-359
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• 2009

Panax ginseng roots produce triterpene saponins called ginsenosides, which are high value secondary metabolites and has been used as drugs, detergents, sweeteners, and cosmetics. In the recent years plant cell, tissue and organ cultures have developed as important alternative sources for the saponin production in Panax ginseng. Adventitious roots and hairy roots have been successfully induced and cultured for the improvement of saponin contents. Genetic and metabolic engineering to regulate saponin biosynthesis in P. ginseng might be important way to improve the medicinal values of P. ginseng. Here we introduced the protocol of genetic transformation and recent progress of functional characterization of genes involved in saponin biosynthesis in P. ginseng.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.75-88
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• 2001

In this paper, the microbial production of riboflavin is reviewed and includes descriptions of riboflavin overproducers, and the biosynthesis and details of the key-enzyme genes related to riboflavin. There kinds of riboflavin overproducers are known; Bacillus subtilis and Candida famate utilize glucose as a carbon source, but the fungus Ashbya gossypii requires plant oil as its sole carbon source. The starting material in ribofalvin biosynthesis is guanosine triphospate (GTP), which is converted to riboflavin through six enzymatic reactions. Though Bacillus subtilis, Candida famate, and Ashbya gossypii operate via different pathways until GTP, they follow the same pathway from GTP to riboflavin. From the metabolic viewpoint, with respect to improved riboflavin production, the supplementation of GTP, aprocess-limiting precursor must be considered. The GTP fluxes originate from three sources, serine, threonine and glyoxylate cycles. The development of pathways to strengthen GTP supplementation using biotechnological techniques remains an issue fro future research.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.135-153
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• 2015

The aromatic amino acids, which are composed of $\small{L}$-phenylalanine, $\small{L}$-tyrosine and $\small{L}$-tryptophan, are general components of protein synthesis as well as precursors for a wide range of secondary metabolites. These aromatic amino acids-derived compounds play important roles as ingredients of diverse phenolics including pigments and cell walls, and hormones like auxin and salicylic acid in plants. Moreover, they also serve as the natural products of alkaloids and glucosinolates, which have a high potential to promote human health and nutrition. The biosynthetic pathways of aromatic amino acids share a chorismate, the common intermediate, which is originated from shikimate pathway. Then, tryptophan is synthesized via anthranilate and the other phenylalanine and tyrosine are synthesized via prephenate, as intermediates. This review reports recent studies about all the enzymatic steps involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathways and their gene regulation on transcriptional/post-transcriptional levels. Furthermore, results of metabolic engineering are introduced as efforts to improve the production of the aromatic amino acids-derived secondary metabolites in plants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.32-34
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• 2005

Purpose: To investigate the metabolic changes in the motor and motor association cortices following axonal injury in the internal capsule that was caused by deep intracerebral hematoma. Materials and Methods: Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS), the authors studied the primary motor cortices (M-1) and supplementary motor areas (SMA) of 9 hemiparetic patients with documentable hemiparesis of varying severity, and we studied 10 normal volunteers as controls. To measure the M-1 and SMA biochemical changes, 4 separate single volumes of interest (VOIs) were located bilaterally in the affected and unaffected hemisphere (AH and UH). Results: 1H MRS provided a neuronal and axonal viability index by measuring levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr). The M-1/SMA NAA/Cr ratios of the AH and UH in patients, and the AH and normal volunteers were compared. The NAA/Cr ratios of the M-1 and SMA in AH, and the SMA in UH were significantly lower than those of normal volunteers. Conclusion: These 1H MRS findings indicate that axonal injury in the descending motor pathway at the level of internal capsule could induce metabolic changes in the higher centers of the motor pathway.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.475-486
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• 2005

Fungal secondary metabolites constitute a wide variety of compounds which either playa vital role in agricultural, pharmaceutical and industrial contexts, or have devastating effects on agriculture, animal and human affairs by virtue of their toxigenicity. Owing to their beneficial and deleterious characteristics, these complex compounds and the genes responsible for their synthesis have been the subjects of extensive investigation by microbiologists and pharmacologists. A majority of the fungal secondary metabolic genes are classified as type I polyketide synthases (PKS) which are often clustered with other secondary metabolism related genes. In this review we discuss on the significance of our recent discovery of chalcone synthase (CHS) genes belonging to the type III PKS superfamily in an industrially important fungus, Aspergillus oryzae. CHS genes are known to playa vital role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. A comparative genome analyses revealed the unique character of A. oryzae with four CHS-like genes (csyA, csyB, csyC and csyD) amongst other Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus) which contained none of the CHS-like genes. Some other fungi such as Neurospora crassa, Fusarium graminearum, Magnaporthe grisea, Podospora anserina and Phanerochaete chrysosporium also contained putative type III PKSs, with a phylogenic distinction from bacteria and plants. The enzymatically active nature of these newly discovered homologues is expected owing to the conservation in the catalytic residues across the different species of plants and fungi, and also by the fact that a majority of these genes (csyA, csyB and csyD) were expressed in A. oryzae. While this finding brings filamentous fungi closer to plants and bacteria which until recently were the only ones considered to possess the type III PKSs, the presence of putative genes encoding other principal enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis (viz., phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamic acid hydroxylase and p-coumarate CoA ligase) in the A. oryzae genome undoubtedly prove the extent of its metabolic diversity. Since many of these genes have not been identified earlier, knowledge on their corresponding products or activities remain undeciphered. In future, it is anticipated that these enzymes may be reasonable targets for metabolic engineering in fungi to produce agriculturally and nutritionally important metabolites.