• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.578-583
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• 2018

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein complexes that function to protect eukaryotic chromosomes from recombination and erosion. Several telomere binding proteins (TBPs) have been characterized in higher plants, but their detailed in vivo functions at the plant level are largely unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized OsTRFL1 (Oryza sativa Telomere Repeat-binding Factor Like 1) in rice, a monocot model crop. Although OsTRFL1 did not directly bind to telomere repeats $(TTTAGGG){_4}$ in vitro, it was associated with telomeric sequences in planta. OsTRFL1 interacted with rice TBPs, such as OsTRBF1 and RTBP1, in yeast and plant cells as well as in vitro. Thus, it seems likely that the association of OsTRFL1 with other TBPs enables OsTRFL1 to bind to telomeres indirectly. T-DNA inserted OsTRFL1 knock-out mutant rice plants displayed significantly longer telomeres (6-25 kb) than those (5-12 kb) in wild-type plants, indicating that OsTRFL1 is a negative factor for telomere lengthening. The reduced levels of OsTRFL1 caused serious developmental defects in both vegetative and reproductive organs of rice plants. These results suggest that OsTRFL1 is an essential factor for the proper maintenance of telomeres and normal development of rice.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.79-82
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• 2000

We have isolated a cDNA encoding a calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) in Nicotiana tabacum, which was designated NtCDPK1. Accumulation of the NtCDPK1 mRNA was stimulated by various stimuli, including phytohormones, CaCl$_2$ wounding, fungal elicitors, chitin and methyl jasmonate. The NtCDPK1 gene encodes a functional Ser/Thr protein kinase of which phosphorylation activity is strongly induced by calcium. By analyzing expression of the NtCDPK1-GFP fusion protein and by immunoblotting with antibody which reacts with NtCDPK1, we found that NtCDPK1 is localized in membrane and nucleus in plant cells. Silencing expression of the NtCDPK1 transgene resulted in marked decrease of lateral root development in the transgenic tobacco plants. Yeast two hybrid screening using NtCDPK1 as a bait identified a tobacco homologue of proteasome regulatory subunit 21D7, designated Nt21D7. The 21D7 mRNA has been shown to be predominantly expressed in proliferating tissues in the cell cycledependent manner in carrot. The recombinant NtCDPK1 protein associated with Nt21D7 in vitro, and could phosphorylate the Nt21D7 protein in vitro in the presence of calcium, suggesting that Nt21D7 protein is a natural substrate of NtCDPK1 in tobacco. These results suggest that NtCDPK1 may regulate tell proliferation processes, such as lateral root formation, by regulating specificity and/or activity of proteasome-mediated protein degradation pathway.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.227-238
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• 2012

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are conserved signaling modules in the eukaryotic cells. They are involved in many major cell processes in fungi such as stress responses, vegetative growth, pathogenicity, secondary metabolism and cell wall integrity. In this review, we summarized the advances of research on the MAPK signaling pathways in Alternaria species. As major phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria species reduce crop production. In contrast to the five MAPK pathways known in yeast, only three MAPK pathways as Fus3/Kss1-type, Hog1-type, and Slt2-type have been characterized in Alternaria. The Fus3/Kss1-type MAPK pathway participates in regulation of vegetative growth, conidiation, production of some cell-wall-degrading enzymes and pathogenicity. The Hog1-type pathway is involved in osmotic and oxidative stress, fungicides susceptibility and pathogenicity. The Slt2-type MAP kinases play an important role on maintaining cell wall integrity, pathogenicity and conidiation. Although recent advances on the MAPK pathways in Alternaria spp. reveal many important features on the pathogenicity, there are many unsolved problems regarding to the unknown MAP kinase cascade components and network among other major signal transduction. Considering the economic loss induced by Alternaria spp., more researches on the MAPK pathways will need to control the Alternaria diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.928-937
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• 2016

S-Nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) metabolizes S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and has been shown to play important roles in regulating cellular signaling and formulating host defense by modulating intracellular nitric oxide levels. The enzyme has been found in bacterial, yeast, mushroom, plant, and mammalian cells. However, to date, there is still no evidence of its occurrence in filamentous fungi. In this study, we cloned and investigated a GSNOR-like enzyme from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The enzyme occurred in native form as a homodimer and exhibited low thermal stability. GSNO was an ideal substrate for the enzyme. The apparent K_m and k_cat values were 0.55 mM and 34,100 min^-1, respectively. Substrate binding sites and catalytic center amino acid residues based on those from known GSNORs were conserved in this enzyme, and the corresponding roles were verified using site-directed mutagenesis. Therefore, we demonstrated the presence of GSNOR in a filamentous fungus for the first time.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.439-447
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• 2018

The aromatic compound p-hydroxybenzoate (PHBA) is an important material with multiple applications, including as a building block of liquid crystal polymers in chemical industries. The cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are beneficial monooxygenases for the synthesis of chemicals, and CYP53A15 from fungus Cochliobolus lunatus is capable of executing the hydroxylation from benzoate to PHBA. Here, we constructed a system for the bioconversion of benzoate to PHBA in Escherichia coli cells coexpressing CYP53A15 and human NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) genes as a redox partner. For suitable coexpression of CYP53A15 and CPR, we originally constructed five plasmids in which we replaced the N-terminal transmembrane region of CYP53A15 with a portion of the N-terminus of various mammalian P450s. PHBA productivity was the greatest when CYP53A15 expression was induced at $20^{\circ}C$ in $2{\times}YT$ medium in host E. coli strain ${\Delta}gcvR$ transformed with an N-terminal transmembrane region of rabbit CYP2C3. By optimizing each reaction condition (reaction temperature, substrate concentration, reaction time, and E. coli cell concentration), we achieved 90% whole-cell conversion of benzoate. Our data demonstrate that the described novel E. coli bioconversion system is a more efficient tool for PHBA production from benzoate than the previously described yeast system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.444-448
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• 2002

A $CaCO_3$-alginate beads system was developed for high cell density cultivation of Bifidobacterium longum and the cost-effective media were also screened. In batch process with $CaCO_3$, beads, two strains of B. longum showed both the highest viable cells and optical density in TPY medium, resulting in maximum optical density and viable cell counts of 12.40, $2.22{\times}10^10$ cfu/ml for B. longum ATCC 15707 and 13.71, $3.93{\times}10^10$ cfu/ml for B. longum HLC 3742. Released size distribution, according to $CaCO_3$-alginate bead size preparation, was smaller than others. These results were also examined by observing their morphology. The skim milk-based medium was most adequate to cultivate B. longum as the cheapest medium, and $10\%$ skim milk supplemented with $2\%$ glucose and $1\%$ yeast extract was a suitable medium, supporting the growth to $5.57{\times}10^10$ cfu/ml for ATCC 15707 and $6.82{\times}10^9$ cfu/ml for HLC 3742. During the long-term storage at $4^{\circ}C\;and\;-20{\circ}C$, B. longum cultivated with $CaCO_3$ beads had the highest stability. Consequently, $CaCO_3$-alginate beads buffer was found to be useful not only to cultivate B. longum but also to preserve cultures.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1368-1376
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• 2008

In our previous study, the expression of active H-ferritins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to reduce cell growth and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation upon exposure to oxidative stress; such expression enhanced that of high-affinity iron transport genes (FET3 and FTR1). The results suggested that the recombinant cells expressing H-ferritins induced cytosolic iron depletion. The present study analyzes metabolic changes under these circumstances via proteomic methods. The YGH2 yeast strain expressing A-ferritin, the YGH2-KG (E62K and H65G) mutant strain, and the YGT control strain were used. Comparative proteomic analysis showed that the synthesis of 34 proteins was at least stimulated in YGH2, whereas the other 37 proteins were repressed. Among these, the 31 major protein spots were analyzed via nano-LC/MS/MS. The increased proteins included major heat-shock proteins and proteins related to endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). On the other hand, the proteins involved with folate metabolism, purine and methionine biosynthesis, and translation were reduced. In addition, we analyzed the insoluble protein fractions and identified the fragments of Idh1p and Pgk1p, as well as several ribosomal assembly-related proteins. This suggests that intracellular iron depletion induces imperfect translation of proteins. Although the proteins identified above result from changes in iron metabolism (i.e., iron deficiency), definitive evidence for iron-related proteins remains insufficient. Nevertheless, this study is the first to present a molecular model for iron deficiency, and the results may provide valuable information on the regulatory network of iron metabolism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.946-951
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• 2006

To study the effect of iron on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whole-cell proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were extracted and subjected to two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), and differentially expressed proteins were identified. The proteins separated were further identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and were compared with a protein database. Of more than 300 spots separated by molecular weight and isoelectric points, 27 differentially expressed spots were identified. Ten proteins were found to be differentially expressed at high iron concentration. Triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), YDR533C hypothetical protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), 60 kDa heat-shock protein (HSP60), pyruvate dehydrogenase beta subunit 1 (PDB1), and old yellow enzyme 2 (OYE2) were upregulated, whereas thiol-specific antioxidant (TSA), regulatory particle non-ATPase subunit 8 (RPN8), thiol-specific peroxiredoxin 1 (AHP1), and fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate adolase (FBA) were downregulated by iron. Based on the result, we propose that SOD upregulated by iron would protect the yeast from oxidative stress by iron, and that TSA downregulated by iron would render cells hypersensitive to oxidative stress.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2005

Spindle position checkpoint monitors the orientation of mitotic spindle for proper segregation of replicated chromosomes into mother cell and the daughter, and prohibits mitotic exit when mitotic spindle is misaligned. BUB2 forms one of the key upstream element of spindle position checkpoint in budding yeast, but its functional homologues have not been identified in higher eukaryotes. Here, we analyzed the functions of two putative BUB2 homologues of C. elegans in the spindle orientation checkpoint. From the C. elegans genome database, we found that two open reading frames (ORFs), F35H12_2 and C33F10_2, showed high sequence homology with BUB2. We obtained the expressed sequence tag (EST) clones for F35H12_2 (yk221d4) and C33F10_2 (yk14e10) and verified the full cDNA for each ORF by sequencing and 5' RACE with SL1 primer. The functional complementation assays of yk221d4 and yk14e10 in ${\Delta}bub2$ of S. cerevisiae revealed that these putative BUB2 homologues of C. elegans could not replace the function of BUB2 in spindle position checkpoint and mitotic exit. Our attempt to document the component of spindle position checkpoint in metazoans using sequence homology was not successful. This suggests that structural information about its components might be required to identify functional homologues of the spindle position checkpoint in higher eukaryotes.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.322-324
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• 2014

Candidiasis caused by Candida albicans is a localized mucocutaneous disease. It occurs worldwide in various kinds of animals. A 7-year-old male spotted seal weighing 98 kg showed facial skin lesions. The present case was characterized by erythematous, thickened, and alopecic skin lesions in the periocular region and on the commissure of the lower lip. For diagnosis, skin scraping and culture of samples from the facial skin lesions were done. Colonies were cream-colored and glistening after 3 days of culture on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Typical yeast-like cells were observed by microscopic inspection after Gram staining. Recovery was achieved with itraconazole (1 mg/kg SID) for 7 days, repeated three times at 2-week intervals.