• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.773-782
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• 2007

Different isolates of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce multiple crystal (Cry) proteins toxic to a variety of insects, nematodes and protozoans. These insecticidal Cry toxins are known to be active against specific insect orders, being harmless to mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Due to these characteristics, genes encoding several Cry toxins have been engineered in order to be expressed by a variety of crop plants to control insectpests. The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, are the major economically devastating pests of cotton crop in Brazil, causing severe losses, mainly due to their endophytic habit, which results in damages to the cotton boll and floral bud structures. A cry1Ia-type gene, designated cry1Ia12, was isolated and cloned from the Bt S811 strain. Nucleotide sequencing of the cry1Ia12 gene revealed an open reading frame of 2160 bp, encoding a protein of 719 amino acid residues in length, with a predicted molecular mass of 81 kDa. The amino acid sequence of Cry1Ia12 is 99% identical to the known Cry1Ia proteins and differs from them only in one or two amino acid residues positioned along the three domains involved in the insecticidal activity of the toxin. The recombinant Cry1Ia12 protein, corresponding to the cry1Ia12 gene expressed in Escherichia coli cells, showed moderate toxicity towards first instar larvae of both cotton boll weevil and fall armyworm. The highest concentration of the recombinant Cry1Ia12 tested to achieve the maximum toxicities against cotton boll weevil larvae and fall armyworm larvae were 230 ${\mu}g/mL$ and 5 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The herein demonstrated insecticidal activity of the recombinant Cry1Ia12 toxin against cotton boll weevil and fall armyworm larvae opens promising perspectives for the genetic engineering of cotton crop resistant to both these devastating pests in Brazil.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2017

Transmembrane protein 39A (TMEM39A) belongs to the TMEM39 family. TMEM39A gene is a susceptibility locus for multiple sclerosis. In addition, TMEM39A seems to be implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus. However, any possible involvement of TMEM39A in cancer remains largely unknown. In the present report, we provide evidence that TMEM39A may play a role in brain tumors. Western blotting using an anti-TMEM39A antibody indicated that TMEM39A was overexpressed in glioblastoma cell lines, including U87-MG and U251-MG. Deep-sequencing transcriptomic profiling of U87-MG and U251-MG cells revealed that TMEM39A transcripts were upregulated in such cells compared with those of the cerebral cortex. Confocal microscopic analysis of U251-MG cells stained with anti-TMEM39A antibody showed that TMEM39A was located in dot-like structures lying close to the nucleus. TMEM39A probably located to mitochondria or to endosomes. Immunohistochemical analysis of glioma tissue specimens indicated that TMEM39A was markedly upregulated in such samples. Bioinformatic analysis of the Rembrandt knowledge base also supported upregulation of TMEM39A mRNA levels in glioma patients. Together, the results afford strong evidence that TMEM39A is upregulated in glioma cell lines and glioma tissue specimens. Therefore, TMEM39A may serve as a novel diagnostic marker of, and a therapeutic target for, gliomas and other cancers.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.221-228
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of germination condition and drying temperature on growth and physicochemical properties of brown rice. Three brown rice seeds of Ilpumbyeo, Dasanbyeo and Heugjinjubyeo were stored at room temperature for six weeks to test the time-sequence germination viability. Relatively stable germination ratio was maintained until 2 weeks after storage. However, 3 weeks after storage, germination ratio of brown rice seeds started to decrease rapidly and their germination ratio was lower than 80%. For this reason, brown rice was recommended for seeding within 2 weeks after hulling. During the initial 5 days, germination ratio of 24 hours pre-soaking brown rice was higher about 2-3% than that of non-soaking brown rice. The $25^{\circ}C$ was considered as the most favorable temperature for brown rice germination, because of the high germination ratio and desirable coleoptile growth of the brown rice, and little seed rotting symptoms. The scanning electron micrographs showed the structural differences between hot-air dried and freeze dried germinated-brown rice kernel. In the freeze dried germinated-brown rice, seed coat (pericarp, tegmen and aleurone layer) was mechanically disrupted from the endosperm, and many cleavages were observed among starch storing cells and starch granules. The endosperm of freeze-dried brown rice kernels formed the sponge-like structures and showed the fragile traits. For this reason, hot-air drying is considered as more suitable method than freeze drying for germinated-brown rice. The crude protein and amylose contents were slightly changed, but there were no significant differences during the germination period. Crude fiber content was decreased, but crude Int and total amino acid contents were increased as seeding days increased. A rapid increase in $\alpha$-amylase activities of germinating brown rice was observed at S days after seeding, and $\alpha$-amylase activities were decreased from 8 days after seeding. Total free sugar contents were decreased during the germination period. There was continuous decline in the contents of sucrose and glucose until 8 days after seeding, but fructose and maltose content were gradually increased from the 5 days after seeding.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.926-936
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• 2003

Overexpression of human Bcl-2 protein in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cells producing humanized antibody (SH2-0.32) considerably suppressed sodium butyrate (NaBu)-induced apoptosis during batch culture by using commercially available serum-free medium, which extended the culture longevity. Due to the extended culture longevity provided by the anti-apoptotic effect of Bcl-2 overexpression, the final antibody concentration of 14C6-bcl-2 culture (Bcl-2 high producer, $23\;\mu\textrm{g}\;ml^{-1}$) was 2 times higher than that of the $SH2-0.32-{\Delta}bcl-2$ culture (cells transfected with bcl-2-deficient plasmid, $10.5\;\mu\textrm{g}\;ml^{-1}$) in the presence of NaBu. To determine the effect of NaBu/Bcl-2 overexpression on the molecular integrity of protein products, antibodies purified from 14C6-bcl-2 and $SH2-0.32-{\Delta}bcl-2$ cultures in the presence of NaBu were characterized by using various molecular assay systems. For comparison, antibody purified from the parental rCHO cell culture (SH2-0.32) in the absence of NaBu was also characterized. No significant changes in molecular weight of antibodies could be observed by SDS-PAGE. From GlycoSep-N column analysis, it was found that the core oligosaccharide structure ($GlcNAc_2Man_3GlcNAc_2$) was not affected by NaBu/Bcl-2 overexpression, while the microheterogeneity of N-linked oligosaccharide structure was slightly affected. Compared with the antibody produced in the absence of NaBu, the proportion of neutral oligosaccharides was increased from 10% (14C6-bcl-2) to 16% ($SH2-0.32-{\Delta}bcl-2$) in the presence of NaBu, which was accompanied by the reduced proportion of acidic oligosaccharides, especially of monosialylated and disialylated forms. The changes in microheterogeneous oligoformal structures of antibody in turn affected the mobility of antibody isoforms in isoelectric focusing (IEF), resulting in the occurrence of some more basic antibody isoforms produced in the presence of NaBu. However, the antigen-antibody binding properties were not changed by alteration of glycosylation pattern. The competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the antibody produced by NaBu/Bcl-2 overexpression maintained its antigen-antibody binding properties with binding affinity of about $2.5{\times}10^9{\;}M^{-1}$. Taken together, no significant effects of NaBu/Bcl-2 overexpression on the molecular integrity of antibodies, produced by using serum-free medium, could be observed by the molecular assay systems.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1998

The cryIB, truncated cryIB$[cryIB({\alpha})]$, cryIA(b), and cytA genes, encoding 135-, 89-, 131-, and 27-kDa proteins, respectively, from Bacillus thuringiensis were cloned into a shuttle vector pBES and expressed in E. coli and Bacillus species. The morphology and solubility in alkaline buffer of the insecticidal crystal proteins were investigated. Transformation of intact cells of E. coli and Bacillus species was achieved by electroporation. High field strength of 11.0 kV/cm and resistance of 129 ohms were required for efficient transformation of E. coli strains and 4.5 kV/cm and 48 ohms for Bacillus species. Strains of recombinant E. coli and Bacillus species produced the insecticidal crystal proteins and accumulated as the same bipyramidal and irregular structures as those of CryIB and IA(b) and CytA of B. thuringiensls, respectively. The insecticidal crystal proteins accumulated in recombinant E. coli wire smaller in size than those in recombinant Bacillus species. The solubility in alkaline buffer of the insecticidal crystal proteins of recombinant E. coli increased gradually as the pH increased, whereas in the case of Bacillus species the solubility increased gradually as the pH increased up to 9 and then the solubility increased greatly up to two times higher than that of E. coli proteins.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 1995.06b
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• pp.27-53
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• 1995

In plant pathology there is an increasing necessity for improved cytological techniques as basis for the localization of cellular substances within the dynamic fine structure of the host-(plant)-pathogen-interaction. Low temperature (LT) preparation techniques (shock freezing, freeze substitution, LT embedding) are now successfully applied in plant pathology. They are regarded as important tools to stabilize the dynamic plant-pathogen-interaction as it exists under physiological conditions. - The main advantage of LT techniques versus conventional chemical fixation is seen in the maintenance of the hydration shell of molecules and macromolecular structures. This results in an improved fine structural preservation and in a superior retention of the antigenicity of proteins. - A well defined ultrastructure of small, fungal organisms and large biological samples such as plant material and as well as the plant-pathogen (fungus) infection sites are presented. The mesophyll tissue of Arabidopsis thaliana is characterized by homogeneously structured cytoplasm closely attached to the cell wall. From analyses of the compatible interaction between Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei on barley (Hordeum vulgare), various steps in the infection sequence can be identified. Infection sites of powdery mildew on primary leaves of barley are analysed with regard to the fine structural preservation of the haustoria. The presentation s focussed on the ultrastructure of the extrahaustorial matrix and the extrahaustorial membrane. - The integration of improved cellular preservation with a molecular analysis of the infected host cell is achieved by the application of secondary probing techniques, i.e. immunocytochemistry. Recent data on the characterization of freeze substituted powdery mildew and urst infected plant tissue by immunogold methodology are described with special emphasis on the localization of THRGP-like (threonine-hydrxyproline-rich glycoprotein) epitopes. Infection sites of powdery mildew on barley, stem rust as well as leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) on primary leaves of wheat were probed with a polyclonal antiserum to maize THRGP. Cross-reactivity with the anti-THRGP antiserum was observed over the extrahaustorial matrix of the both compatible and incompatible plant-pathogen interactions. The highly localized accumulation of THRGP-like epitopes at the extrahaustorial host-pathogen interface suggests the involvement of structural, interfacial proteins during the infection of monocotyledonous plants by obligate, biotrophic fungi.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2009

The aerial parts of garland (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.) were extracted in 80% aqueous methanol (MeOH) and the concentrated extract was then partitioned using ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and $H_2O$, successively. EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions resulted in 4 glycerides with the application of octadecyl silica gel and silica gel column chromatography. The chemical structures of the glycerides were determined using several spectroscopic methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) as (2S)-1-O-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol (1), (2S)-1-O-oleoyl-2-O-oleoyl- 3-O-$\beta$-D-galactopyranosyl-sn-glycerol (2), (2S)-1-O-palmitoyl-2-O-linoleoyl-3-O-phosphorouscholine-sn-glycerol (3), and (2S)-1-O-linolenoyl-2-O-palmitoyl-3-O-[$\alpha$-D-galactopyrasyl-($1{\rightarrow}6$)-$\beta$-D-galactopyranosyl]-sn-glycerol (4). The free fatty acids of these glycerides were determined with gas chromatography (GC)-MS analysis following alkaline hydrolysis and methylation. These glycerides demonstrated an inhibitory effect on acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT, compound 1: $45.6{\pm}0.2%$ at $100{\mu}g/mL$), diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT, compound 1: $59.1{\pm}0.1%$ at $25{\mu}g/mL$), farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase, compound 2: $98.0{\pm}0.1%$; compound 3: $55.2{\pm}0.1%$ at $100{\mu}g/mL$), and $\beta$-secretase ($IC_{50}$, compound 4: $2.6{\mu}g/mL$) activity. This paper is the first report on the isolation of these glycerides from garland and their inhibitory activity on ACAT, DGAT, FPTase, and $\beta$-secretase.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2008

In this study, we fabricated poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffold modified with small intestinal submucosa (SIS) as a drug delivery matrix of bioactive molecules. SIS derived from the submucosa layer of porcine intestine has been widely used as biomaterial because of low immune response. PLGA scaffold was prepared by the method of solvent casting/salt leaching. Novel composite scaffolds of SIS/PLGA were manufactured by simple immersion method of PLGA scaffold in SIS solution under vacuum. SEM observation shows that PLGA and SIS/PLGA scaffolds have interconnective and open pores. Especially, SIS/PLGA scaffold showed that micro-sponge of SIS with interconnected pore structures were formed in the pores of PLGA scaffold. In order to assay release profile of proteins, we manufactured FITC conjugated BSA loaded PLGA and SIS/PLGA scaffold. And the release amount was identified by fluorescence intensity using the fluorescence spectrophotometer. The initial burst of BSA containing SIS/PLGA scaffolds was lower than that of PLGA scaffolds resulting in constant release. And release of BSA in SIS/PLGA scaffold was fast and incremental because of the increased content of BSA. In conclusion, we confirmed that penetrated SIS solution prevented the initial burst of BSA and PLGA modified with SIS scaffold is useful as protein carriers with controlled release pattern.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2006

Laminarans with different purity were prepared from Eisenia bicyclis and their structures were characterized. Crude laminaran was successively extracted two times at room temperature for 2 hr with 0.09 N HCl, and partially purified laminaran was isolated using cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). Crude laminaran accounted for $14.5\%$ of the dry seaweed weight and contained $8.4\%$ protein, $7.6\%$ sulfate and $68.2\%$ polysaccharide. Partially purified laminaran accounted for $6.5\%$ of the dry algal weight and composed of $3.8\%$ protein, $3.2\%$ sulfate and $74.7\%$ total sugar, which is mainly composed of glucose $(83.3\%)$, indicating that partially purified laminaran was more purified polysaccharide than crude laminaran. Purified laminaran was fractionated into one fractions by Sephacryl S-300 HR column chromatography and this fraction was analysed by FT-IR, $^{13}C$ NMR, methylation and gel filtration chromatography. Purified laminaran showed $\beta-configuration$ $(^{13}C:103.0ppm,\;FT-IR:888cm^{-1})$ in the anomerization of the glycosidic linkages and was $(1\rightarrow3),\;(1\rightarrow6)$ linked $\beta-glucan$. The average molecular weight of purified laminaran was 12,600 dalton.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.17-32
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• 2021

Objectives The present study was designed to find out the therapeutic effects and possible underlying mechanism of Buja-tang, a herbal complex formula on experimental monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis. Methods Osteoarthritis models were created via intra-joint injection of MIA (50 μL with 80 mg/mL) in rats. Rats were divided into five groups and each group consisted of seven. Normal group was not injected MIA and did a normal diet. Control group injected MIA and received distilled water. Indo injected MIA and oral administration of 5 mg/kg of indomethacin. BJTL injected MIA and oral administration of 100 mg/kg of Buja-tang. BJTH injected MIA and oral administration of 200 mg/kg of Buja-tang. We analyzed weight-bearing ability of hind paws, oxidative stress related factor, antioxidant protein, inflammatory protein, inflammatory messenger and cytokine in joint tissue. Pathological observation of knee cartilage tissue structures was also performed with hematoxylin & eosin and safranin-O chromosomes. Results Weight-bearing ability of hind paws showed a tendency to reduce pain. The incidence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and p22phox in articular tissue was significantly reduced, and the incidence of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1 and superoxide dismutases was significantly increased. The incidence of phosphorylated inhibitor of κBα, nuclear factor-kappa B p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β decreased significantly. In pathological observation, cartilage tissue damaged by MIAs in biopsy has significantly recovered from Buja-tang administration. Conclusions Buja-tang has anti-inflammation, antioxidation and pain relief effects. So this is thought to inhibit the progress of osteoarthritis in rat caused by the MIA.