• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.156-164
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• 2021

Spirodela polyrhiza, from the Lemnaceae family, are small aquatic plants that offer an alternative plant-based system for the expression of recombinant proteins. However, no turion transformation protocol has been established in this species. In this study, we exploited a pB7YWG2 vector harboring the eYFP gene that encodes enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP), which has been extensively used as a reporter and marker to visualize recombinant protein localization in plants. We adopted Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated turion transformation via vacuum infiltration to deliver the eYFP gene to turions, special vegetative forms produced by duckweeds to endure harsh conditions. Transgenic turions regenerated several duckweed fronds that exhibited yellow fluorescent emissions under a fluorescence microscope. Western blotting verified the expression of the eYFP protein. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an efficient protocol for generating transgenic S. polyrhiza expressing eYFP via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated turion transformation. The ability of turions to withstand harsh conditions increases the portability and versatility of transgenic duckweeds, favoring their use in the further development of therapeutic compounds in plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.316-324
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• 2022

Hair loss causes psychological stress due to its effect on appearance. Therefore, the global market for hair loss treatment products is rapidly growing. The present study demonstrated that ginseng berry-derived and sequence-modified peptides promoted the proliferation rate of dermal papilla (DP) cells and keratinocytes, in addition to having antioxidant properties. Moreover, the potential role of these ginseng berry peptides as TGF-β2 antagonists was confirmed through in silico computer docking. In addition to promoting the growth of ,the ginseng berry-derived peptides also promoted the proliferation of keratinocytes experimental Particularly, an unmodified ginseng berry-derived peptide (GB-1) and two peptides with sequence modifications (GB-2 and GB-3) decreased ROS generation and exhibited a protective effect on damaged HaCaT keratinocytes. Computer-aided peptide discovery was conducted to identify the potential interactions of important proteins with transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2), a key protein that plays a crucial role in the human hair growth cycle. Our results demonstrated that MAGH, an amino acid sequence present in herbal supplements and plant-based natural compounds, can inhibit TGF-β2.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.270-277
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• 2018

The rising global demand for food and beverages with higher protein content provides manufacturers with great opportunities for innovation and premium positioning of their products as healthy choices. However, the market price volatility and supply risks associated with animal-based proteins can quickly erode margins and profitability. A diversified protein strategy that includes plant-based soy protein greatly improves your ability to predict profitability over time, while maintaining or even improving product quality.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2016

The infectious full-length cDNA clone of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) isolate PA (pZYMV-PA), which was isolated from pumpkin, was constructed by utilizing viral transcription and processing signals to produce infectious in vivo transcripts. Simple rub-inoculation of plasmid DNAs of pZYMV-PA was successful to cause infection of zucchini plants (Cucurbita pepo L.). We further engineered this infectious cDNA clone of ZYMV as a viral vector for systemic expression of heterologous proteins in cucurbits. We successfully expressed two reporter genes including gfp and bar in zucchini plants by simple rub-inoculation of plasmid DNAs of the ZYMV-based expression constructs. Our method of the ZYMV-based viral vector in association with the simple rub-inoculation provides an easy and rapid approach for introduction and evaluation of heterologous genes in cucurbits.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.635-642
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• 2002

To effectively investigate the identification and distribution of the lactic acid bacteria in Kimchi, polyphasic methods, including a PCR, SDS-PAGE of the whole-cell proteins, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, were used. In various types of Kimchi fermented at 20$\^{C}$, the isolate KHU-31 was found to be the predominant lactic acid bacteria. This isolate was identified as Lactobacillus sake KHU-31, based on SDS-PAGE of the whole-cell proteins and a 165 rRNA gene sequence analysis, which provided accurate and specific results. Accordingly, the approach used in the current study demonstrated that Lactobacillus sake KHU-31, together with Leuconostoc mesenteroides, were the most predominant lactic acid bacteria in all types of Kimchi in the middle stage of fermentation at 20$\^{C}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.135.2-136
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• 2003

To characterize plasmids in Xanthomonu axonopodis pv. glycines, we isolated plasmids pAG1 from the strain AG1 and pXAG81 and PXAG82 from the strain Bra, respectively, and sequenced three plasmids. The size of plasmids, pAG1, pXAG81, and pXAG82 was 15,149-base pairs (bp), 26,727-bp, and 1,496-bp, respectively Fifteen and twenty six possible open reading frames (ORFs) were present in pAG1 and pXAG81, respectively. Only one ORF homologous to a rep gene of Xylella fastidiosa was present in pXAG82. pAG1 contained genes homologous to avrBs3, tnpA, tnpR, repA, htrA, three parA genes, M.XmaI, R.XmaI, and six hypothetical proteins. pXAG81 contained genes homologous to avrBs3, tnpA, tnpR, repA, htrA, two parA genes, pemI, pemK, mobA, mobB, mobC, mobD, mobE, trwB, traF, traH, ISxac2, and eleven hypothetical proteins. Based on DNA sequence analysis, we presume that pXAG81 is a conjugal plasmid. Interestingly, we found 0.5-kb truncated avirulence gene similar to aurXacE3 on the right border of avrBs3 homolgs of pAG1 and pXAG81. Two hundred twenty five isolates were analyzed to find aurBS3 or tra gene homologs by Southern hybridization. The numbers of avrBs3 homolog varied from 3 in AG1 to 8 in AG166. Two hundred seventeen isolates appeared to can conjugative plasmids (pXAG81 type), and thirty eight isolates appeared to carry non-conjugative plamids (pAGl type). This indicated that aurBs3 gene homologs might be spread by conjugation in X. axonopodis pv. glycines.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.16-16
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• 2011

Melanogenesis is a well-known physiological response of human skin that may occur because of exposure to ultraviolet light, for genetic reasons, or due to other causes. In our effectors to find new skin lightening agents, acanthoic acid (AA) was investigated for its ability to inhibit melanogenesis. The effects of AA isolated from A.koreanumun the expression of $\alpha$-MSH-induced melanogenic factors (tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein (TRP)-1, TRP-2 and MITF (microphthalmla-associated transcriptional factor)) were investigated in murine B16F10 melanoma cells. The results indicate that AA was an effective inhibitor of melanogenesis in B16F10 cells. To elucidate the mechanism of the effect of AA on melanogenesis, we performed Western blotting for melanogenic proteins. AA inhibited melanogenic factors (tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2) expressions. In this study, we also confirmed that AA decreased the protein level of MITF proteins, which would lead to a decrease of tyrosinase and related genes in B16F10 melanoma cells. In order to apply AA to the human skin, the cytotoxic effects of the AA were determined by MTT assays using human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Based on these results, we suggest that AA be considered possible anti-melanogenic agent and might be effective against hyperpigmentation disorders for the topical application.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.160-170
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• 2016

The increasing spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has raised the interest in alternative antimicrobial treatments. In our study, the functionally active gram-negative bacterium bacteriophage CP933 endolysin was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by a combination of transient expression and vacuole targeting strategies, and its antimicrobial activity was investigated. Expression of the cp933 gene in E. coli led to growth inhibition and lysis of the host cells or production of trace amounts of CP933. Cytoplasmic expression of the cp933 gene in plants using Potato virus X-based transient expression vectors (pP2C2S and pGR107) resulted in death of the apical portion of experimental plants. To protect plants against the toxic effects of the CP933 protein, the cp933 coding region was fused at its Nterminus to an N-terminal signal peptide from the potato proteinase inhibitor I to direct CP933 to the delta-type vacuoles. Plants producing the CP933 fusion protein did not exhibit the severe toxic effects seen with the unfused protein and the level of expression was 0.16 mg/g of plant tissue. Antimicrobial assays revealed that, in contrast to gram-negative bacterium E. coli (BL21(DE3)), the gram-positive plant pathogenic bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis was more susceptible to the plant-produced CP933, showing 18% growth inhibition. The results of our experiments demonstrate that the combination of transient expression and protein targeting to the delta vacuoles is a promising approach to produce functionally active proteins that exhibit toxicity when expressed in plant cells.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.90-101
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• 2022

Pathogenicity of eight Bacillus strains to seedlings of four cotton cultivars was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Each of the tested cultivars was individually treated with powdered inoculum of each bacterial strain. Untreated seeds were planted as control treatments in autoclaved soil. Effects of the tested strains on levels and activities of some biochemical components of the infected seedlings were also assayed. The biochemical components included total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, total free amino acids, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, phenols, and lipid peroxidation. ANOVA showed that Bacillus strain (B) was a very highly significant source of variation in damping-off and dry weight. Cotton cultivar (V) was a nonsignificant source of variation in damping-off while it was a significant source of variation in dry weight. B × V interaction was a significant source of variation in damping-off and a nonsignificant source of variation in dry weight. Bacillus strain was the most important source of variation as it accounted for 59.36 and 64.99% of the explained (model) variation in damping-off and dry weight, respectively. The lack of significant correlation between levels and activities of the assayed biochemical components and incidence of damping-off clearly demonstrated that these biochemical components were not involved in the pathogenicity of the tested strains. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the pathogenicity of the tested strains could be due to the effect of cell wall degrading enzymes of pathogenic toxins. Based on the results of the present study, Bacillus strains should be considered in studying the etiology of cotton seedling damping-off.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.885-891
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• 2022

Plant-based protein sources such as soybean meal have low digestibility and are generally promoted accumulation of undigested proteins into the intestine by enzymatic treatments. Moreover, potential intestinal pathogens ferment undigested proteins, producing harmful substances, such as ammonia, amines and phenols, leading to an overactive immune response and diarrhea in weaned pigs. As a solution, dietary proteases hydrolyze soybean-based antinutritive factors, which negatively affect immune responses and gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary proteases (PRO) in a low-crude protein (CP) commercial diet on the immune responses and gut microbiota of weaned pigs. The experimental design consisted of three dietary treatments: a commercial diet as a positive control (PC; phase1 CP = 23.71%; phase 2 CP: 22.36%), a lower CP diet than PC as negative control (NC; 0.61% less CP than PC), and NC diet supplement with 0.02% PRO. We found that PRO tended to decrease the frequency of diarrhea in the first two weeks after weaning compared with PC and NC. In addition, pigs fed PRO showed decreased TNF-α and TGF-β1 levels compared with those fed PC and NC. The PRO group had a higher relative proportion of the genus Lactobacillus and lower levels of the genus Streptococcus than the PC and NC groups. In conclusion, the addition of PRO to a low CP commercial weaned diet attenuated inflammatory responses and modified gut microbiota in weaned pigs.