• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.963-977
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• 2015

The well-characterized gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is an outstanding industrial candidate for protein expression owing to its single membrane and high capacity of secretion, simplifying the downstream processing of secretory proteins. During the last few years, there has been continuous progress in the illustration of secretion mechanisms and application of this robust host in various fields of life science, such as enzyme production, feed additives, and food and pharmaceutical industries. Here, we review the developments of Bacillus subtilis as a highly promising expression system illuminating strong chemical- and temperatureinducible and other types of promoters, strategies for ribosome-binding-site utilization, and the novel approach of signal peptide selection. Furthermore, we outline the main steps of the Sec pathway and the relevant elements as well as their interactions. In addition, we introduce the latest discoveries of Tat-related complex structures and functions and the countless applications of this full-folded protein secretion pathway. This review also lists some of the current understandings of ATP-binding cassette transporters. According to the extensive knowledge on the genetic modification strategies and molecular biology of Bacillus subtilis, we propose some suggestions and strategies for improving the yield of intended productions. We expect this to promote striking future developments in the optimization and application of this bacterium.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.453-458
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• 1998

Human thrombopoietin (hTPO) was expressed to high levels in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system. Full-length hTPO cDNA containing a native signal peptide sequence was amplified by PCR from a human fetal liver cDNA library and cloned into the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) expression vector. Immunoblot analysis with antiserum against hTPO indicated that an approximately 55 kDa protein was produced in recombinant AcNPV infected insect cells. Recombinant hTPO was produced 4-fold higher in Trichoplusia ni (Tn5) cells than in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. with most of the hTPO produced in Tn5 cells secreted into the culture medium. Addition of tunicamycin in the culture medium resulted in the reduction of the size of hTPO to 35-38 kDa, and most of the protein remained within the cell. These results suggest that N-glycosylation of hTPO is required for the secretion of the protein into the culture medium in insect cells. hTPO produced in insect cells induced proliferation and maturation of megakaryocyte progenitors, indicating that it is in a biologically active form.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.8
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• pp.445-453
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• 2015

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is an organelle where most secretory and membrane proteins are synthesized, folded, and undergo further maturation. As numerous conditions can perturb such ER function, eukaryotic cells are equipped with responsive signaling pathways, widely referred to as the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). Chronic conditions of ER stress that cannot be fully resolved by UPR, or conditions that impair UPR signaling itself, are associated with many metabolic and degenerative diseases. In recent years, Drosophila has been actively employed to study such connections between UPR and disease. Notably, the UPR pathways are largely conserved between Drosophila and humans, and the mediating genes are essential for development in both organisms, indicating their requirement to resolve inherent stress. By now, many Drosophila mutations are known to impose stress in the ER, and a number of these appear similar to those that underlie human diseases. In addition, studies have employed the strategy of overexpressing human mutations in Drosophila tissues to perform genetic modifier screens. The fact that the basic UPR pathways are conserved, together with the availability of many human disease models in this organism, makes Drosophila a powerful tool for studying human disease mechanisms. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(8): 445-453]

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.251-254
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• 2006

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) Tg786 against Toxoplasma gondii has been found to detect a 42-kDa rhoptry protein (ROP6) which showed protease activity and host cell binding characteristics after secretion. Using the mAb, a colony containing a 3'-UTR was probed in a T. gondii cDNA expression library. A full length cDNA sequence of the rhoptry protein was completed after 5'-RACE, which consisted of 1,908 bp with a 1,443 bp ORF. The deduced amino acid sequence of ROP6 consisted of a polypeptide of 480 amino acids without significant homology to any other known proteins. This sequence contains an amino terminal stop transfer sequence downstream of a short neutral sequence, hydrophilic middle sequence, and hydrophobic carboxy terminus. It is suggested that the ROP6 is inserted into the rhoptry membrane with both N- and C-termini.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.45-45
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• 2003

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDO) is an essential protein which is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of eukaryotic cells. It catalyses the formation and isomerization of disulfide bonds during the folding of secretory proteins. We have isolarted a cDNA encoding PDI from Bombyx mori (bPDI), in which an open reading frame of 494 mino acid (55.6kDa) is shown. (omitted)

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.613-615
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• 2011

ERp29 is a endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumenal resident protein that shows sequence similarity to the protein disulfide isomerase family. Its biological function is thought to play a role in the processing of secretory proteins within the ER, possibly by participating in the folding of proteins in the ER. Although some data on ERp29 have been reported, its normal functions are still unclear. To gain insights into the function of ERp29, we identified ARF5 protein as a protein that interacts with ERp29 using yeast two-hybrid screening and GST pull-down assay. Interaction between ERp29 and ARF5 was detected under normal cell conditions but not under ER stress conditions. This result may provide a clue for understanding ERp29 biological functions.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2009

Clonorchis sinensis is the most important widely distributed parasite of the human bile duct in East Asia and the most prevalent parasitic helminth in Korea. The prevalence rate of human clonorchiasis has remained at about 2.9% in Korea. C. sinensis induces dilatation of the duct, hyperplasia of the mucosa, metaplasia or neoplasia of the mucosal epithelium, periductal inflammation and fibrosis, and thickening of the ductal wall. Fibroblast are the most common cells in connective tissue and are responsible for the synthesis of extracellular matrix components. The fibrosis associated with chronic inflammation and injury may also contribute to cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis, particularly through an increase in extracellular matrix components, which participate in the regulation of bile duct differentiation during development. In this study, ultrastructural changes, the distribution of lectin receptors and actin protein in cultured SD rat bile duct fibroblast after infection of C. sinensis were observed. Experimental group had been divided into four groups: normal bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media (G1); C. sinensis infected bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media (G2); normal bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media containing excretory-secretory product (ESP) (G1-1); C. sinensis infected bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media containing ESP (G2-1). Overall, once a host is infected by C. sinensis, it affects the host to the extent that sialic acid of ductal fibroblast is increased. Number of cytoplasmic process of SD rat bile duct fibroblast was increased. Actin protein and sialic acid were located in cell surface. Fibroblast induced by C. sinensis was not recovered to normal fibroblast. The cytoplasm bulk and cytoplasmic process were increased whereas the growth rate of the fibroblast of infected SD rat was reduced rather than that of normal fibroblast. In result, it inhibits fibroblast proliferation and increases actin protein on fibroblast cytoplasm, and so causes fibroblast metamorphosis and cellular mutation.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.83-85
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• 2007

A glycine and proline-rich antibacterial protein was cloned from larvae of a beetle, Protaetia brevitarsis. The DNAs encoded a deduced propeptide of 127 amino acid residues with predicted molecular weight of 14.0 kDa and PI of 7.89. Structural analysis of this protein indicated the presence of a recognition sequence for the cleavage site within the constitutive secretory pathway(Arg-Xaa-Lys/Arg-Arg), suggesting that mature portion(72 amino acid residues) is produced by cleavage of signal peptide and propeptide from 127 amino-acid-long precursor protein. Mature portion sequence of this protein showed 72% similarity to that of Oryctes rhinoceros Rhinocerosin and 91% to that of Holotrichia diomphalia holotricin 2. The mRNA expression was reached the highest level at 4 hrs after E. coli injection and then declined gradually.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.783-788
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• 2002

Bovine yolk sac at day 24 of pregnancy, and placental membranes (chorion and allantois) from days 70 and 100 of pregnancy were isolated and cultured in a modified minimum essential medium in the presence of $[^{35}S]$methionine. Proteins synthesized and secreted by isolated bovine yolk sac, chorion and allantois were analyzed by fluorography of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Serum-like proteins,transferrin, ${\alpha}$-fetoprotein, ${\alpha}$1-antitrypsin and ${\alpha}$1-acid glycoprotein,were the major protein products of yolk sac. A 21 kDa protein produced by yolk sac was identified immunochemically as retinol-binding protein (RBP). Chorion and allantios from days 70 and 100 of pregnancy were active in protein synthesis and secretion. Both chorion and allantois did not secret serum-like proteins but secreted a number of neutral-to-acidic proteins including RBP. Secretory proteins produced by the yolk sac, chorion and allantois may play important roles in the embryonic development and the successful outcome of pregnancy. Antiserum against bovine placental RBP was employed to the immunocytochemistry by immunoperoxidase method. Immunoreactive RBP was localized in epithelial cells and island-like cell clones of yolk sac. Immunostaining for RBP was detected in simple columnar epithelium of chorion and in simple squamous epithelium of allantois. In the present study, proteins synthesized and secreted by yolk sac at day 24 of pregnancy, chorion and allantois from days 70 and 100 of pregnancy were characterized In addition, RBP was localized in yolk sac, chorion and allantois by immunoperoxidase method. The immunoperoxidase method has been proven to be a very effective technique to identify the cellular source of protein synthesis in extraembryonic membranes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.637-645
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• 2011

Production of recombinant proteins by excretory expression has many advantages over intracellular expression in Escherichia coli. Hyperexpression of a secretory exoglucanase, Exg, of Cellulomonas fimi was previously shown to saturate the SecYEG pathway and result in dramatic cell death of E. coli. In this study, we demonstrated that overexpression of the PspA in the JM101(pM1VegGcexL-pspA) strain enhanced excretion of Exg to 1.65 U/ml using shake-flask cultivation, which was 80% higher than the highest yield previously obtained from the optimized JM101(pM1VegGcexL) strain. A much higher excreted Exg activity of 4.5 U/ml was further achieved with high cell density cultivation using rich media. Furthermore, we showed that the PspA overexpression strain enjoyed an elevated critical value (CV), which was defined as the largest quotient between the intracellular unprocessed precursor and its secreted mature counterpart that was still tolerable by the host cells prior to the onset of cell death, improving from the previously determined CV of 20/80 to the currently achieved CV of 45/55 for Exg. The results suggested that the PspA overexpression strain might tolerate a higher level of precursor Exg making use of the SecYEG pathway for secretion. The reduced lethal effect might be attributable to the overexpressed PspA, which was postulated to be able to reduce membrane depolarization and damage. Our findings introduce a novel strategy of the combined application of metabolic engineering and construct optimization to the attainment of the best possible E. coli producers for secretory/excretory production of recombinant proteins, using Exg as the model protein.