• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.239-241
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• 2016

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a tropical pathogen, has re-emerged and has massive outbreaks abruptly all over the world. Containing many dominant epitopes, the envelope E2 protein of CHIKV has been explored for the vaccination or diagnosis. In the present study, the antigenicity of a recombinant expressed intrinsically disorder domain (IUD) of E2 was tested for the detection of the antibody against CHIKV through western blot method. The gene of the IUD of E2 was inserted into 2 different vectors and expressed as recombinant GST-E2 and recombinant MBP-E2 fusion protein, respectively. Two kinds of fusion proteins were tested with 30 CHIKV patient sera and 30 normal sera, respectively. Both proteins were detected by 25 patients sera (83.3%) and 1 normal serum (3.3%). This test showed a relatively high sensitivity and very high specificity of the recombinant E2 proteins to be used as diagnostic antigens against CHIKV infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.585-590
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• 2008

Human tropic Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses (PERVs) are the major concern in zoonosis for xenotransplantation because PERVs cannot be eliminated by specific pathogen-free breeding. Recently, a PERV A/C recombinant with PERV-C bearing PERV-A gp70 showed a higher infectivity (approximately 500-fold) to human cells than PERV-A. Additionally, the chance of recombination between PERVs and HERVs is frequently stated as another risk of xenografting. Overcoming zoonotic barriers in xenotransplantation is more complicated by recombination. To achieve successful xenotransplantation, studies on the recombination in PERVs are important. Here, we cloned and sequenced proviral PERV env sequences from pig gDNAs to analyze natural recombination. The envelope is the most important element in retroviruses as a pivotal determinant of host tropisms. As a result, a total of 164 PERV envelope genes were cloned from pigs (four conventional pigs and two miniature pigs). Distribution analysis and recombination analysis of PERVs were performed. Among them, five A/B recombinant clones were identified. Based on our analysis, we determined the minimum natural recombination frequency among PERVs to be 3%. Although a functional recombinant envelope clone was not found, our data evidently show that the recombination event among PERVs may occur naturally in pigs with a rather high possibility.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1580-1587
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• 2012

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) envelope (E) protein holds great promise for use in the development of a recombinant vaccine. Purified recombinant E (rE) protein may be useful for numerous clinical applications; however, there are limitations in using the Escherichia coli expression system for producing high-quality rE protein. Therefore, in this study, the yeast expression system was used to generate the rE protein. For protein production using the yeast system, the full-length JEV E gene was cloned into Pichia pastoris. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that the rE protein had a molecular mass of 58 kDa and was glycosylated. The predicted size of the mature unmodified E protein is 53 kDa, suggesting that post-translational modifications resulted in the higher molecular mass. The rE protein was purified to greater than 95% purity using combined ammonium sulfate precipitation and a SP-Sepharose Fast Flow column. This purified rE protein was evaluated for immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice. The survival rates of mice immunized with the rE protein were significantly increased over that of Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus E protein (HcE). Our results indicate that the rE protein expressed in the P. pastoris expression system holds great promise for use in the development of a subunit vaccine against JEV.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 1997

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 protein is known to be one of putative envelope proteins. To develop a sensitive detection method for HCV infected tissues and cells, monoclonal antibodys (MAbs) to the E2 protein of HCV were prepared from mice immunized with recombinant baculovirus-expressing E2 protein (Bac-E2). Several hybridoma clones secreting various levels of MAb were isolated and isotypes of these MAb were determined. One clone (L.2.3.3) was used for ascites production and the E2-MAb was purified and characterized. The L.2.3.3 reacted well with both Bac-E2 and E. coli expressed glutathione-S-transferase-E2 (GST-E2) fusion proteins. Using HCV patient sera, E2 envelope protein was found to be localized in the cell membrane boundary both in CHO cells and insect cells which express HCV E2 protein. Similar result was obtained when same cells were treated with the MAb L.2.3.3. These results demonstrated that Bac-E2 protein is capable of eliciting high titer antibody production in mice.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2010

Xenotransplantation of pig organs is complicated by the existence of polytropic replication-competent porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) capable of infecting human cells. Two classes of infectious human-tropic replication-competent PERVs (PERV-A and PERV-B) and one class of ecotropic PERV-C are known. The potential for recombination between ecotropic PERV-C and human-tropic PERVs adds another level of infectious risk. A recombinant PERV-A/C (PERV-A14/220) virus is 500-fold more infectious than PERV-A. Two determinants of this high infectivity was identified; one was isoleucine-to-valine substitution at position 140 in RBD (receptor binding domain), and the other lies within the PRR (proline rich region) of the envelope protein. To examine whether the effects of the cytoplasmic tail of the PERV-C Env on fusogenesity also influences infectivity, we constructed a pseudotype retroviral vectors containing MoMLV core protein and PERV envelopes. Pseudotyping experiments with the PERV envelope glycoproteins indicated that recombinant PERV-A/C virus is 10-fold more infectious than PERV-A by lacZ staining. This result supports the suggestion that viral transduction of PERV-A/C is enhanced by a membrane-proximal cytoplasmic amphiphilic ${\alpha}$-helix in PERV-C Env tail.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.147-153
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• 2011

The Pseudorabies (PR), also called Aujeszky's disease (AD), is an infectious viral disease caused by an alpha herpes virus and has domestic and wild pigs, as well as a wide range of domestic and wild animals, as the natural host. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) virions contain several envelope glycoproteins. Among them, gB, gC and gD are regarded as the major immunogenic proteins. We expressed these glycoproteins using the bacterial expression system and analyzed recombinant proteins. Expression of glycoproteins gC and gD were observed on SDS-PAGE or Western blot analysis, but gB was not. Optimal concentration of IPTG and inducing time were determined as 1.0 mM and 4 h, respectively, for the expression of both gC and gD in E. coli. A sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was the most efficient detergent in solubilizing insoluble recombinant protein.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.6-12
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• 1990

The preS2 wequence of an adr hepatitis B virus was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a $\beta$-galactosidase fusion polypeptide. Recombinant preS2 product interacted with the preS2-specific monoclonal antibody H8 which was induced by surface antigen particles isolated from a Korean gepatitis patient. The H8 showed only a minor cross-reactivity with recombinant preS2 product of adw2 subtype. Determination of nucleotide sequence of the adr preS2 revealed that twelve amino acid residue substitutions between adr and adw2 subtype sequences. The antigenic determinant to H8 must include some of these differences.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.173-177
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• 2006

In this study, a novel strategy was developed for the highly selective immobilization of proteins, using the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) depolymerase substrate binding domain (SBD) as an active binding domain. In order to determine the appropriacy of this method for immunodiagnostic assays, the single-chain antibody (ScFv) against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) preS2 surface protein and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) envelope protein (SCVe) were fused to the SBD, then directly immobilized on PH A-coated slides via microspotting. The fluorescence-labeled HBV antigen and the antibody against SCVe were then utilized to examine specific interactions on the PHA-coated surfaces. Fluorescence signals were detected only at the spotted positions, thereby indicating a high degree of affinity and selectivity for their corresponding antigens/antibodies. Furthermore, we detected small amounts of ScFv-SBD (2.7 ng/mL) and SCVe-SBD fusion proteins (0.6ng/mL). Therefore, this microarray platform technology, using PHA and SBD, appears generally appropriate for immunodiagnosis, with no special requirements with regard to synthetic or chemical modification of the biomolecules or the solid surface.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 2014

The structural proteins of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) consist of nucleocapsid protein C and envelope glycoprotein $E^{rns}$ (E0), E1 and E2. Among them, E2, the most immunogenic of the CSFV glycoproteins, induces a protective immune response in swine. In this study, to determine the optimal expression conditions of glycoprotein E2 using baculovirus system, we investigated the influence of insect cells and media to the expression of recombinant E2. Recombinant virus containing glycoprotein E2 coding gene was constructed with bApGOZA DNA. Expression of the glycoprotein E2 was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using anti-CSFV E2 monoclonal antibodies. Expression of glycoprotein E2 in Sf21 cells was first observed after 3 days and reached a maximum on the 5th day after infection. Furthermore, the highest levels of glycoprotein E2 expression were observed at multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 5. When three different insect cell lines (Sf21, High-Five and Se301) were tested, High-Five cells showed the highest production. In addition, four different serum-free and serum-supplemented media, respectively, were tested for the expression of glycoprotein E2 and the budded virus (BV) titers. As a result, serum-supplemented medium provided the best conditions for protein production and the BV yield.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.735-740
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• 2004

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a causal agent of the chronic liver infection. To understand HCV morphogenesis, we studied the assembly of HCV structural proteins in insect cells. We constructed recombinant baculovirus expression vectors consisting of either HCV core alone, core-E1, or core-E1-E2. These structural proteins were expressed in insect cells and were examined to assemble into particles. Neither core-E1 nor core-E1-E2 was capable of assembling into virus-like particles (VLPs). It was surprising that the core protein alone was assembled into core-like particles. These particles were released into the culture medium as early as 2 days after infection. In our system, HCV structural proteins including envelope proteins did not assemble into VLPs. Instead, the core protein itself has the intrinsic capacity to assemble into amorphous core-like particles. Furthermore, released core particles were associated with HCV RNA, indicating that core proteins were assembled into nucleocapsids. These results suggest that HCV may utilize a unique core release mechanism to evade the hosts defense mechanism, thus contributing to the persistence of HCV infection.