• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1749-1759
• /
• 2018

Recombinant (rec) prion protein (PrP) is an extremely useful resource for studying protein misfolding and subsequent protein aggregation events. Here, we report mass production of high-purity rec-polypeptide encoding the C-terminal globular domain of PrP; (90-230) for human and (89-231) for murine PrP. These proteins were expressed as His-tagged fusion proteins in E. coli cultured by a high cell-density aerobic fermentation method. RecPrPs recovered from inclusion bodies were slowly refolded under reducing conditions. Purification was performed by a sequence of metal-affinity, cation-exchange, and reverse-phase chromatography. The current procedure yielded several dozens of milligrams of recPrP per liter with >95% purity. The purified recPrPs predominantly adopted an ${\alpha}$-helix-rich conformation and were functionally sufficient as substrates to measure the seeding activity of human and animal prions. Establishment of a procedure for high-level production of high-purity recPrP supports the advancement of in vitro investigations of PrP including diagnosis for prion diseases.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.719-728
• /
• 2007

The cysteine and glycine rich protein 3 (CSRP3), apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide‐like 2(APOBEC2) and caveolin (CAV) gene family(CAV1, CAV2, CAV3) have been reported to play important roles for carcass and meat quality traits in pig, mouse, human and cattle. As an initial step, we investigated SNPs in these 5 genes among eight different cattle breeds. Eighteen primer pairs were designed from bovine sequence data of NCBI database to amplify the partial gene fragments. Sequencing results revealed 9 SNPs in the coding regions of three caveolin genes, 1 SNP in CSRP3 and 3 SNPs in APOBEC2 gene. All the identified SNPs were confirmed by PCR-RFLP. Also, 9 more intronic SNPs were detected in these genes. However, all identified mutations in the coding region do not change amino acid sequence. Allelic distributions were significantly different for 5 SNPs in CAV2, CAV3, CSRP3 and APOBEC2 genes among the eight different breeds. These results gave some clues about the polymorphisms of these genes among the cattle breeds and will be useful for further searches for identifying association between these SNPs and meat quality traits in cattle.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
• /
• 2001.06a
• /
• pp.83-89
• /
• 2001

Recent advances in the structural and molecular biology uncovered that a set of translation factors resembles a tRNA shape and, in one case, even mimics a tRNA function for deciphering the genetic ：ode. Nature must have evolved this 'art' of molecular mimicry between protein and ribonucleic acid using different protein architectures to fulfill the requirement of a ribosome 'machine'. Termination of protein synthesis takes place on the ribosomes as a response to a stop, rather than a sense, codon in the 'decoding' site (A site). Translation termination requires two classes of polypeptide release factors (RFs)： a class-I factor, codon-specific RFs (RFI and RF2 in prokaryotes; eRFI in eukaryotes), and a class-IT factor, non-specific RFs (RF3 in prokaryotes; eRF3 in eukaryotes) that bind guanine nucleotides and stimulate class-I RF activity. The underlying mechanism for translation termination represents a long-standing coding problem of considerable interest since it entails protein-RNA recognition instead of the well-understood codon-anticodon pairing during the mRNA-tRNA interaction. Molecular mimicry between protein and nucleic acid is a novel concept in biology, proposed in 1995 from three crystallographic discoveries, one, on protein-RNA mimicry, and the other two, on protein-DNA mimicry. Nyborg, Clark and colleagues have first described this concept when they solved the crystal structure of elongation factor EF- Tu：GTP：aminoacyl-tRNA ternary complex and found its overall structural similarity with another elongation factor EF-G including the resemblance of part of EF-G to the anticodon stem of tRNA (Nissen et al. 1995). Protein mimicry of DNA has been shown in the crystal structure of the uracil-DNA glycosylase-uracil glycosylase inhibitor protein complex (Mol et al. 1995; Savva and Pear 1995) as well as in the NMR structure of transcription factor TBP-TA $F_{II}$ 230 complex (Liu et al. 1998). Consistent with this discovery, functional mimicry of a major autoantigenic epitope of the human insulin receptor by RNA has been suggested (Doudna et al. 1995) but its nature of mimic is. still largely unknown. The milestone of functional mimicry between protein and nucleic acid has been achieved by the discovery of 'peptide anticodon' that deciphers stop codons in mRNA (Ito et al. 2000). It is surprising that it took 4 decades since the discovery of the genetic code to figure out the basic mechanisms behind the deciphering of its 64 codons.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.12
• /
• pp.1291-1300
• /
• 2014

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a ubiquitous family of antioxidant enzymes that participate in a variety of biological processes, including $H_2O_2$-mediated signal transduction, molecular chaperoning, and mitochondrial function. In this study, we isolated and characterized a Prx 2 cDNA from abalone (Haliotis discus hannai). The abalone Prx 2 cDNA encoded a 199-amino acid polypeptide that belongs to a class of typical 2-Cys Prxs that contain peroxidatic and resolving cysteines. The deduced abalone Prx 2 protein showed strong homology (64-99%) with Prx 2 proteins from other species, including mollusk, fish, amphibians, and mammals, and it was most closely related to disk abalone (H. discus discus) Prx 2. Abalone Prx 2 mRNA was ubiquitously detected in tested tissues, and its expression was comparatively high in the mantle, gills, liver, foot, and digestive duct. The expression level of abalone Prx 2 mRNA was 106.7-fold, 51.9-fold, and 437.8-fold higher, respectively, in the gills, digestive duct, and liver than in the muscles. The expression level of abalone Prx 2 mRNA in the liver peaked at 6 hr postinfection with Vibrio parahemolyticus and decreased at 12 hr postinfection. The expression level of abalone Prx 2 mRNA in hemocytes was drastically increased at 1 hr postinfection with V. parahemolyticus. These results suggest that abalone Prx 2 is conserved through evolution and that it may play a role similar to that of its mammalian counterpart.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.188-199
• /
• 2002

A gene coding for xylanase from thermo-tolerant Bacillus pumilus TX703 was cloned into Escherichia coli DH5 $\alpha$ using pUC19. Among 7,400 transformants, four transformants showed clear zones on the detection agar plates containing oat-spells xylan. One of them which showed highest xylanase activity was selected and its recombinant plasmid, named pXES106, was found to carry 2.24 kb insert DNA fragment. When the nucleotide sequence of the cloned xylanase gene (xynK) was determined, xynK gene was found to consist of 1,227 base-pair open reading frame coding for a polypeptide of 409 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 48 kDa. The coding sequence was preceded by a putative ribosome binding site, the transcription initiation signals, and cia-acting catabolite responsive element. The deduced amino acids sequence of xylanase is similar to those of the xylanases from Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Clostridium thermocellum, with 39 and 31% identical residues, respectively. The amino acids sequence of this xylanase was quite different from those of the xylanases from other Bacillus species.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.230-234
• /
• 1995

Angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitory peptides lowering blood pressure were fractionated from a commercial soybean paste(Doenjang). When the freeze-dried sample of soybean paste was extracted with cold water, the recovery yield of total nitrogen(TN) was shown to be 73.3% in 30 minutes. The cold water extract was filtered through PM-10 membrane(Amicon) for 3 hours in order to remove high molecular weight polypeptides. The TN and salt of ultrafiltrate were recovered to 80.8% and 99.2%, respectively, and its ACE $IC_{50}$ was $41.8{\mu}g/ml$. When the ultrafiltrate was divided into 7 fractions by reverse phase prep-HPLC, F5 fraction showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity ($IC_{50}=6.8{\mu}g/ml$) and salt could be collected into F1 fraction. Subsequently, the F5 fraction was divided into another five fractions by ion exchange prep-HPLC, all of which appeared to be high ACE inhibitory activity($IC_{50}=2.5{\sim}8.3{\mu}g/ml$). Among them, F53 fraction had the highest ACE inhibitory activity, and its main amino acid component was found to be histidine.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.169-177
• /
• 2013

Recently, the number of people with diabetes is rapidly increasing, coupled with the fact that the insulin market is remarkably increasing. Therefore, molecular farming for plant-derived pharmaceutical protein production is reported as becoming more attractive than ever. In this study, we carried out experiments step by step for development of recombinant insulin constructs, which were transformed into E. coli system, in vitro transcription and translation system, and tobacco cells. At first, recombinant proinsulin protein was successfully produced in in vitro transcription and translation system with wheat germ extract. After which, recombinant construct of prominiinsulin encoded a fusion protein of 7.8 kDa with trypsin cleavage sites at N terminus and C terminus of minimized C-peptide was tried to in vitro expression using E.coli culture. After purification with His-tag column, the resulting recombinant prominiinsulin protein was processed with trypsin, and then checked insulin biosynthesis by SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis with anti-insulin monoclonal antibody. The immunoreactive product of trypsin-treated miniinsulin was identical to the predicted insulin hexamer. The construct of 35S promoter-driven preprominiinsulin recombinant gene with signal peptide region for ER-targeting and red fluorescence protein gene [N terminus ${\rightarrow}$ tobacco E2 signal peptide ${\rightarrow}$ B-peptide (1-29 AA) ${\rightarrow}$ AAK ${\rightarrow}$ A-peptide (1-21 AA) ${\rightarrow}$ RR ${\rightarrow}$ His6 ${\rightarrow}$ KDEL ${\rightarrow}$ C terminus] was transformed into BY-2 tobacco cells. A polypeptide corresponding to the 38-kDa molecular mass predicted for fusion protein was detected in total protein profiles from transgenic BY-2 cells by western analysis. Therefore, this recombinant preprominiinsulin construct can be used for generation of transgenic tobacco plants producing therapeutic recombinant insulin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.487-494
• /
• 1996

The neurogenic responses of tracheal smooth muscles to electrical field stimulation (EFS) is biphasic, consisting firstly of cholinergic contraction followed by a slow and sustained relaxation. It is well known that a sustained relaxation involves the inhibitory non-adrenergic non-cholinergic systems. This study was done to Investigate the relaxing agents and their action mechanisms by use of an organ bath with plati- ilum . The tracheal smooth muscle relaxation due to EFS was suppressed by L-NAME, the WO (Nitric Oxide) synthase inhibitor, and these effects were reversed by L-arginine, the precursor of NO. Also, L-WAME (HG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) increased the basal tension. Nitroprusside, the NO-donor, suppressed the tracheal basal tension greatly. Methylene blue, the inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, decreased EFS-induced relaxations and increa ed basal tension. Forskolin and isoprenaline, which are activators of adenylate cyclase, suppressed tracheal basal tension in the same way as nitroprusside. TEA (tetraethylammonium), the non-specific K'channel blocker, and apamin, the Ca"-activated K'channel blocker, increased tracheal basal tension and EFS-induced relaxations. Our results indicate that Pr3 Is released upon stimulation of the NANC (Won Adrenergic Won Cholinergic) nerves in guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle and that the release of NO related with the K+ channel, as well as the release of other inhibitory agents< e. g.)VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide), PHI (Peptide Histidine Isoleusine) > mediated via CAMP (cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate) may be Involved In sustained relaxation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.233-238
• /
• 2009

The expression of Corynebacterium ammoniagenes purF was analyzed by utilizing a plasmid carrying a cat gene fused to the purF promoter region. Adenine and guanine repressed the expression of the purF gene by 20~30% but hypoxanthine did not exert such repressive effect. The expression purF was maximal at the late log phase and remained constant throughout the stationary phase. Promoter $P_{180}$ which was developed in C. glutamicum was also functional in C. ammoniagenes, achieving maximal activity at the late log phase. The promoter outperformed Escherichia coli $P_{tac}$ promoter by 40~50% level. DNA-affinity purification identified a protein which could bind to the promoter region of the purF gene. The protein showed high similarity to the CRP-family transcriptional regulator encoded by NCgl0120 in C. glutamicum. The size of the screened protein agreed with the expected protein size from the ORF NCgl0120. The corresponding gene in C. ammoniagenes encoded a 42 kDa polypeptide composed of 400 amino acids with expected pI of 4.9. The encoded protein showed 14.1% and 15.8% identity with E. coli and Bacillus subtilis PurR, respectively, suggesting that the isolated protein might be a novel type of regulatory protein involved in the regulation of purine metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.336-343
• /
• 2016

A mannanase gene was cloned into Escherichia coli from Cellulosimicrobium sp. YB-43, which had been found to produce two kinds of mannanase, and sequenced completely. This mannanase gene, designated manB, consisted of 1,284 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 427 amino acid residues. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, the ManB was identified to be a modular enzyme including two carbohydrate binding domains besides the catalytic domain, which was highly homologous to mannanases belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 5. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of ManB, purified from a cell-free extract of the recombinant E. coli carrying a Cellulosimicrobium sp. YB-43 manB gene, has been determined as QGASAASDG, which was correctly corresponding to signal peptide predicted by SignalP4.1 server for Gram-negative bacteria. The purified ManB had a pH optimum for its activity at pH 6.5~7.0 and a temperature optimum at $55^{\circ}C$. The enzyme was active on locust bean gum (LBG), konjac and guar gum, while it did not exhibit activity towards carboxymethylcellulose, xylan, starch, and para-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-mannopyranoside. The activity of enzyme was inhibited very slightly by $Mg^{2+}$, $K^+$, and $Na^+$, and significantly inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$, $Zn^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, and SDS. The enzyme could hydrolyze mannooligosaccharides larger than mannobiose, which was the most predominant product resulting from the ManB hydrolysis for mannooligosaccharides and LBG.