• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1305-1310
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• 2021

Shikimate is a key high-demand metabolite for synthesizing valuable antiviral drugs, such as the anti-influenza drug, oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Microbial-based strategies for shikimate production have been developed to overcome the unstable and expensive supply of shikimate derived from traditional plant extraction processes. In this study, a microbial cell factory using Corynebacterium glutamicum was designed to overproduce shikimate in a fed-batch culture system. First, the shikimate kinase gene (aroK) responsible for converting shikimate to the next step was disrupted to facilitate the accumulation of shikimate. Several genes encoding the shikimate bypass route, such as dehydroshikimate dehydratase (QsuB), pyruvate kinase (Pyk1), and quinate/shikimate dehydrogenase (QsuD), were disrupted sequentially. An artificial operon containing several shikimate pathway genes, including aroE, aroB, aroF, and aroG were overexpressed to maximize the glucose uptake and intermediate flux. The rationally designed shikimate-overproducing C. glutamicum strain grown in an optimized medium produced approximately 37.3 g/l of shikimate in 7-L fed-batch fermentation. Overall, rational cell factory design and culture process optimization for the microbial-based production of shikimate will play a key role in complementing traditional plant-derived shikimate production processes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1370-1375
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• 2023

In this study, we aimed to enhance the accumulation of chorismate (CHR) and anthranilate (ANT), key intermediates in the shikimate pathway, by modifying a shikimate over-producing recombinant strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum [19]. To achieve this, we utilized a CRISPR-driven genome engineering approach to compensate for the deletion of shikimate kinase (AroK) as well as ANT synthases (TrpEG) and ANT phosphoribosyltransferase (TrpD). In addition, we inhibited the CHR metabolic pathway to induce CHR accumulation. Further, to optimize the shikimate pathway, we overexpressed feedback inhibition-resistant Escherichia coli AroG and AroH genes, as well as C. glutamicum AroF and AroB genes. We also overexpressed QsuC and substituted shikimate dehydrogenase (AroE). In parallel, we optimized the carbon metabolism pathway by deleting the gntR family transcriptional regulator (IolR) and overexpressing polyphosphate/ATP-dependent glucokinase (PpgK) and glucose kinase (Glk). Moreover, acetate kinase (Ack) and phosphotransacetylase (Pta) were eliminated. Through our CRISPR-driven genome re-design approach, we successfully generated C. glutamicum cell factories capable of producing up to 0.48 g/l and 0.9 g/l of CHR and ANT in 1.3 ml miniature culture systems, respectively. These findings highlight the efficacy of our rational cell factory design strategy in C. glutamicum, which provides a robust platform technology for developing high-producing strains that synthesize valuable aromatic compounds, particularly those derived from the shikimate pathway metabolites.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2006

Several methods for determining the response of corn to glyphosate were investigated to provide a fast and reliable method for identifying glyphosate-resistant corn in vivo. Two bioassays were developed. One assay is named 'whole plant / leaf growth assay', in which the herbicide glyphosate is applied on the upper part of 3rd leaf and the growth of herbicide-untreated 4th leaf is measured at 3 day after treatment. in this assay, the leaf growth of conventional corn was inhibited in a dose dependent from 50 to $1600{\mu}g/mL$ of glyphosate and growth inhibition at $1600{\mu}g/mL$ was 55% of untreated control. The assay has the potential to be used especially in the case that the primary cause of glyphosate resistance is related with a reduction of the herbicide translocation. Another assay is named 'leaf segment / shikimate accumulation assay', in which the four excised leaf segments ($4{\times}4mm$) are placed in each well of a 48-well microtiter plate containing $200{\mu}L$ test solution and the amount of shikimate is determined after incubation for 24 h in continuous light at $25^{\circ}C$. In this assay, 0.33% sucrose added to basic test solution enhanced a shikimate accumulation by 3 to 4 times and the shikimate accumulation was linearly occurred from 2 to $8{\mu}g/mL$ of glyphosate, showing an improved response to the method described by Shaner et al. (2005). The leaf segment / shikimate accumulation assay is simple and robust and has the potential to be used as a high throughput assay in the case that the primary cause of glyphosate resistance is related with EPSPS, target site of the herbicide. Taken together, these two assays would be highly useful to initially select the lines obtained after transformation, to investigate the migration of glyphosate-resistant gene into other weeds and to detect a weedy glyphosate-resistant corn in field.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.789-796
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• 2000

In order to analyze the effects of tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL expression in a tryptophan-producing Escherichia coli, a series of plasmids carrying the genes were constructed. Introduction of tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL into the E. coli strain resulted in approximately 10-20 fold increase in the activities of transketolase, the feedback inhibition-resistant 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulsonate-7-phosphate synthase, and shikimate kinase. Expression of $aroF^{FBR}$ in the aroB mutant strain of E. coli resulted in the accumulation of 10 mM of 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulsonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) in the medium. Simultaneous expression of tktA and $aroF^{FBR}$ in the strain further increased the amount of excreted DAHP to 20 mM. In contrast, the mutant strain which has no gene introduced accumulated 0.5 mM of DAHP. However, the expression of tktA and $aroF^{FBR}$ in a tryptophan-producing E. coli strain did not lead to the increased production of tryptophan, but instead, a significant amount of shikimate, which is an intermediate in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, was excreted to the growth medium. Despite the fact that additional expression of shikimate kinase in the strain could possibly remove 90% of excreted shikimate to 0.1 mM, the amount of tryptophan produced was still unchanged. Removing shikimate using a cloned aroL gene caused the excretion of glutamate, which suggests disturbed central carbon metabolism. However, when cultivated in a complex medium, the strain expressing tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL produced more tryptophan than the parental strain. These data indicate that additional rate-limiting steps are present in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, and the carbon flow to the terminal pathway is strictly regulated. Expressing tktA in E. coli cells appeared to impose a great metabolic burden to the cells as evidenced by retarded cell growth in the defined medium. Recombinant E. coli strains harboring plasmids which carry the tktA gene showed a tendency to segregate their plasmids almost completely within 24h.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 2007

This study was conducted to develop herbicide-resistance domestic maize plants by introducing the CP4 5-enol-pyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (CP4 EPSPS) gene using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated immature embryo transformation. Immature embryos of five genotypes (HW1, KL103, HW3, HW4, HW7) were co-cultivated with strains Agrobacterium tumefaciens (strain C58C1) containing the binary vector (pCAMBIA2300) carrying Ubiquitin promoter-CP4 EPSPS gene and Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV35S) promoter-nptll gene conferring resistance to paromomycin as a selective agent. The presence and expression of CP4 EPSPS transgene were confirmed by PCR, RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis, respectively. Also, the resistance to glyphosate in the transgenic maize ($T_1$) was analyzed by shikimate accumulation assay. The frequency (%) of paromomycin-resistance callus was 0.37, 0.03, 2.20, 2.37, and 0.81% in pure lines HW1, KL103, HW3, HW4 and HW7, respectively. EPSP transgene sequences were amplified in putative transgenic plants that regenerated from paromomycin-resistance calli of two inbred lines (HW3, HW4). Of them, RT-PCR and Northern blot analyses revealed that the transgene was only expressed in two transgenic events (M266, M104) of HW4 inbred line, and a mild glyphosate resistance of transgenic event (M266) was confirmed by the lower shikimate accumulation in leaf segments. These results demonstrate that transgenic maize with herbicide-resistance traits in Korean genotype can be genetically obtained.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2003

Microspore-derived cell lines resistant to 5-methyltryptophan (5MT, a tryptophan analog) or S-(2-aminoethyl)-L-cysteine (AEC, a Iysine analog) were selected in rice by in vitro mutagenesis. For selection of 5MT or AEC resistant cell lines, suspension-cultured cells were irradiated with gamma rays. Thirteen 5MT resistant cell lines were selected and they were able to grow stably at 2 times higher 5MT concentration. A feedback insensitive form of anthranilate synthesis, the pathway specific control enzyme for tryptophan synthesis, was detected from the 5MT resistant lines. Contents of the free amino acids in five resistant lines (MR12-1 to MR12-5) showed a 7.4 to 46.6 times greater level than that in the control culture. Tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine levels in the shikimate pathway were 28.1 and 22.5 times higher in MR12-3 and MR12 4, respectively, than that measured in the control cells. Four AEC resistant cell lines were isolated from cultures grown on medium containing 1 mM AEC, They were able to grow stably with 2 mM AEC, while sensitive calli were inhibited by 0.5 mM AEC. Aspartate kinase activities of the resistant lines were insensitive to the natural inhibitor, Iysine, and accumulated 2.2 to 12.9-fold higher levels of free Iysine than that of the control cells. Especially, the levels of aspartate, asparagine, and methionine in the aspartate pathway showed higher accumulation in the AEC resistant lines than that in the control cells.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.253-261
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• 2007

This study was conducted to develop an antibiotics marker-free potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Taedong valley) plant having resistance against two herbicides. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105, harboring a binary vector plasmid pCAMBIA3300 containing bar gene under the control of a promoter CaMV35S and linked CP4-EPSPS genes driven by CaMV35S promoter, was used in the current study. The leaf segments of newly bred potato variety (cv. Taedong Valley) was co-cultured with Agrobacterium. Then, the regenerated individual shoots were excised and transferred to potato multiplication medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L phosphinothricin. The shoots were rooted in MS medium without hormone and obtained putative transgenic plant E3-6. Integration of target genes into the E3-6 plant and their expression was confirmed by PCR, Southern analysis, and ELISA test. The tissue necrosis test on young leaf blade and shikimic acid accumulation test using the tissue of E3-6 plant were conducted to investigate the resistance to glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate, respectively. The transgenic plants (E3-6) simultaneously showed a high resistance to both herbicides. The same results were surely obtained also in the whole plants foliar-treated with alone or mixture of two herbicides, glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.167-167
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• 2017

Our previous study for developing seeds of Iksan 526 (I.526), an inbred line of resveratrol-producing transgenic rice line, showed that, in 20 days after heading (DAH) seeds, resveratrol was almost saturated and accumulation of piceid was highest though the expression of Arachis hypogaea resveratrol synthase 3 (AhRS3, GenBank DQ124938) was highest in 31 DAH seeds. In this study, it was investigated how the overexpression of AhRS3 affects phenylpropanoid pathway genes. p-Coumaroyl-CoA is derived from phenylpropanoid pathway and used as a substrate of AhRS3 reaction for resveratrol production. In 6, 13, 20, 31 and 41 (45 for Dongjin) DAH seeds of I526 and Dongjin, a wild type of I.526, respectively, the expression pattern of phenylpropanoid pathway genes, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL: LOC_Os02g41630.2, LOC_Os04g43760.1), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H: LOC_Os05g25640.1), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL: LOC_Os02g08100.1), cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR: LOC_ Os09g25150.1, LOC_Os08g34280.1), hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT: LOC_Os04g42250.2, LOC_Os02g39850.1) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD: LOC_Os02g09490.1), was examined using real time (RT)-PCR. Compared to developing seeds of Dongjin, RT-PCR results showed that the expression pattern of phenylpropanoid pathway genes was modified in developing seeds of I.526. In most genes, except for CAD, of I.526 developing seeds, the gene expression was highest in 20 DAH corresponding to biosynthesis of resveratrol and piceid, i.e. the expression of phenylpropanoid pathway genes was gradually increased by 20 DAH and decreased as seeds develop. Especially, in Dongjin, the highest expression of PALs and 4CL was in 6 DAH and their expression was gradually decreased as seeds develop. These genes expression data also exhibited that, in developing seeds of I.526, phenylpropanoid pathway genes were slightly or significantly (in some genes) upregulated compared to Dongjin. Therefore, the overexpression of AhRS3 changed the expression pattern of phenylpropanoid pathway genes in I.526 developing seeds and this modification for gene expression is closely related to biosynthesis of resveratrol and piceid.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.105-105
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• 2017

Our previous study for developing seeds of Iksan 526 (I.526), an inbred line of resveratrol-producing transgenic rice line, showed that, in 20 days after heading (DAH) seeds, resveratrol was almost saturated and accumulation of piceid was highest though the expression of Arachis hypogaea resveratrol synthase 3 (AhRS3, GenBank DQ124938) was highest in 31 DAH seeds. In this study, it was investigated how the overexpression of AhRS3 affects phenylpropanoid pathway genes. p-Coumaroyl-CoA is derived from phenylpropanoid pathway and used as a substrate of AhRS3 reaction for resveratrol production. In 6, 13, 20, 31 and 41 (45 for Dongjin) DAH seeds of I526 and Dongjin, a wild type of I.526, respectively, the expression pattern of phenylpropanoid pathway genes, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL: LOC_Os02g41630.2, LOC_Os04g43760.1), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H: LOC_Os05g25640.1), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL: LOC_Os02g08100.1), cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR: LOC_Os09g25150.1, LOC_Os08g34280.1), hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT: LOC_Os04g42250.2, LOC_Os02g39850.1) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD: LOC_Os02g09490.1), was examined using real time (RT)-PCR. Compared to developing seeds of Dongjin, RT-PCR results showed that the expression pattern of phenylpropanoid pathway genes was modified in developing seeds of I.526. In most genes, except for CAD, of I.526 developing seeds, the gene expression was highest in 20 DAH corresponding to biosynthesis of resveratrol and piceid, i.e. the expression of phenylpropanoid pathway genes was gradually increased by 20 DAH and decreased as seeds develop. Especially, in Dongjin, the highest expression of PALs and 4CL was in 6 DAH and their expression was gradually decreased as seeds develop. These genes expression data also exhibited that, in developing seeds of I.526, phenylpropanoid pathway genes were slightly or significantly (in some genes) upregulated compared to Dongjin. Therefore, the overexpression of AhRS3 changed the expression pattern of phenylpropanoid pathway genes in I.526 developing seeds and this modification for gene expression is closely related to biosynthesis of resveratrol and piceid.