• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.357-364
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• 2017

In this study, we aimed to generate a series of versatile tagging plasmids that can be used in diverse molecular biological studies of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. We constructed 12 plasmids that can be used to tag a protein of interest with a GFP, mCherry, $4{\times}FLAG$, or $6{\times}HA$, along with nourseothricin-, neomycin-, or hygromycin-resistant selection markers. Using this tagging plasmid set, we explored the adenylyl cyclase complex (ACC), consisting of adenylyl cyclase (Cac1) and its associated protein Aca1, in the cAMP-signaling pathway, which is critical for the pathogenicity of C. neoformans. We found that Cac1-mCherry and Aca1-GFP were mainly colocalized as punctate forms in the cell membrane and non-nuclear cellular organelles. We also demonstrated that Cac1 and Aca1 interacted in vivo by co-immunoprecipitation, using $Cac1-6{\times}HA$ and $Aca1-4{\times}FLAG$ tagging strains. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation further confirmed the in vivo interaction of Cac1 and Aca1 in live cells. Finally, protein pull-down experiments using $aca1{\Delta}$::ACA1-GFP and $aca1{\Delta}$::ACA1-GFP $cac1{\Delta}$ strains and comparative mass spectrometry analysis identified Cac1 and a number of other novel ACC-interacting proteins. Thus, this versatile tagging plasmid system will facilitate diverse mechanistic studies in C. neoformans and further our understanding of its biology.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.136-141
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• 2009

Marking biocontrol bacteria is an essential step to monitor bacterial behavior in natural environments before application in agricultural ecosystem. In this study, we presented the simple green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter system driven by the promoter active in Bacillus species for tagging of the biocontrol bacteria. A constitutive promoter P43 from Bacillus subtilis was fused to an enhanced promoterless gfp gene by overlap extension PCR. The GFP expression was demonstrated by the high fluorescence intensity detected in B. subtilis and Escherichia coli transformed with the P43-gfp fusion construct, respectively. The GFP reporter system was further investigated in two bacterial biocontrol strains B. licheniformis and Pseudomonas fluorescens. When the reconstructed plasmid pWH34G was introduced into B. licheniformis, GFP level measured with the fluorescence intensity in B. licheniformis was almost equivalent to that in B. subtilis. However, GFP expression level was extremely low in other biocontrol bacteria P. fluorescens by transposon based stable insertion of the P43-gfp construct into the bacterial chromosome. This study provides information regarding to the efficient biomarker P43-gfp fusion construct for bio-control Bacillus species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.302-311
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• 2004

Comamonas testosteroni (formerly Pseudomonas sp.) NCIMB 10643 can grow on biphenyl and alkylbenzenes $(C_2-C_7)$ via 3-substituted catechols. Thus, to identify the genes encoding the degradation, transposon-mutagenesis was carried out using pAG408, a promoter-probe mini-transposon with a green fluorescent protein (GFP), as a reporter. A mutant, NT-1, which was unable to grow on alkylbenzenes and biphenyl, accumulated catechols and exhibited an enhanced expression of GFP upon exposure to these substrates, indicating that the gfp had been inserted in a gene encoding a broad substrate range catechol 2,3-dioxygenase. The genes (2,826 bp) flanking the gfp cloned from an SphI-digested fragment contained three complete open reading frames that were designated bphCDorfl. The deduced amino acid sequences of bphCDorfl were identical to 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase (BphC), 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2,4-dienoate hydrolase (BphD), and OrfI, respectively, that are all involved in the degradation of biphenyl/4-chlorobiphenyl (bph) by Ralstonia oxalatica A5. The deduced amino acid sequence of the orfl revealed a similarity to those of outer membrane proteins belonging to the OmpW family. The introduction of the bphCDorfl genes enabled the NT-l mutant to grow on aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition, PCR analysis indicated that the DNA sequence and gene organization of the bph operon were closely related to those in the bph operon from Tn4371 identified in strain A5. Furthermore, strain A5 was also able to grow on a similar set of alkylbenzenes as strain NCIMB 10643, demonstrating that, among the identified aromatic hydrocarbon degradation pathways, the bph degradation pathway related to Tn4371 was the most versatile in catabolizing a variety of aromatic hydrocarbons of mono- and bicyclic benzenes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.238-244
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• 2010

Rhizobia are well-known for their ability to infect and nodulate legume roots, forming a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis of agricultural importance. In addition, recent studies have shown that rhizobia can colonize roots and aerial plant tissues of rice as a model plant of the Graminaceae family. Here we show that rhizobia can invade tobacco, a model plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. Inoculation of seedling. roots with five GFP-tagged rhizobial species followed by microscopy and viable plating analyses indicated their colonization of the surface and interior of the whole vegetative plant. Blockage of ascending epiphytic migration by coating the hypocotyls with Vaseline showed that the endophytic rhizobia can exit the leaf interior through stomata and colonize the external phyllosphere habitat. These studies indicate rhizobia can colonize both below- and above-ground tissues of tobacco using a dynamic invasion process that involves both epiphytic and endophytic lifestyles.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.25-30
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• 2009

${\beta}$-Arrestins turn off G protein-mediated signals and initiate distinct G protein-independent signaling pathways. We previously demonstrated that angiotensin $AT_1$ receptorbound ${\beta}$-arrestin 1 is cleaved after $Phe^{388}$ upon angiotensin II stimulation. The mechanism and signaling pathway of angiotensin II-induced ${\beta}$-arrestin cleavage remain largely unknown. Here, we show that protein Tyr phosphatase activity is involved in the regulation of ${\beta}$-arrestin 1 cleavage. Tagging of green fluorescent protein (GFP) either to the N-terminus or C-terminus of ${\beta}$-arrestin 1 induced conformational changes and the cleavage of ${\beta}$-arrestin 1 without angiotensin $AT_1$ receptor activation. Orthovanadate and molybdate, inhibitors of protein Tyr phosphatase, attenuated the cleavage of C-terminal GFP-tagged ${\beta}$-arrestin 1 in vitro. The inhibitory effects of okadaic acid and pyrophosphate, which are inhibitors of protein Ser/Thr phosphatase, were less than those of protein Tyr phosphatase inhibitors. Cell-permeable pervanadate inhibited angiotensin II-induced cleavage of ${\beta}$-arrestin 1 in COS-1 cells. Our findings suggest that Tyr phosphorylation signaling is involved in the regulation of angiotensin II-induced ${\beta}$-arrestin cleavage.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.13-19
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• 2006

Generally known psittacosis or ornithosis is a disease of birds caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci. Humans are accidential hosts and are most commonly infected from avian sources. It raises hepatitis or neurosis. As major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia psittaci has been known to play a role in the avoidance of host immune defenses, research on developing a Chlamydia vaccine has focused on the MOMP. In this study, the gene encoding the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of the Chlamydia psittaci strain 6BC was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli strain M-15. The recombinant DNA was cloned by fusion prokaryotic expression vector pQE30-GFPII. Expression of the recombinant protein was performed in E. coli and was induced by IPTG. The size of expressed recombinant protein is 74.220 kDa (MOMP, 43.260 kDa; GFP expression region, 30 kDa; $6{\times}His$ tag, 960Da). This protein was purified by using his-tagging-inclusion body. Recombinant protein was reconfirmed through ELISA test and western blot with antibody against pQE30-GFPII. It will be useful antibody development.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2007

한반도 중부지방인 충청남북도 7개 지역에서 재배되고 있는 벼 시료 21점을 채집하여 이들의 뿌리를 표면살균 한 후 내생균을 44주 분리하고 내생성 검정 시스템을 통해 정착력이 상대적으로 우수한 균주를 최종 16주 확보 하였다. 이들의 분리빈도는 뿌리 생체중 1g당 $10^{3-5}$ CFU로 나타났다. 흥미롭게도 이중 7주가 Eurkholderia 속 균으로 동정되어 기존의 다른 벼 내생세균 연구 결과와는 다른 특징을 보였다. 또한 GFP tagging 방법을 이용하여 분리균주 중 하나인 Enterobacter sp. KJ001 균주에 대해 뿌리조직 내 colonization 위치를 확인해본 결과 뿌리 조직 중 관다발 주변에 군락을 이루고 있음을 관찰하였다. Burkholderia 분리주들은 국내 재배 벼에서 높은 빈도로 분리되며 in vitro상에서 광범위한 진균성 식물병원균에 대해 우수한 길항력과 더불어 대부분 질소고정 관련 유전자인 nifH를 가지는 점으로 보아 질소고정에 의해 식물생육에 도움을 줄 수 있을 것으로 예측되며 실제로 오이 유묘의 생장을 30% 이상 촉진하는 효과를 보여 식물병 억제 및 감소와 더불어 작물의 생장 촉진 및 생산성 증대에 활용가치가 높은 내생균으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.144-151
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• 2014

Increasing the gene copy number has been commonly used to enhance the protein expression level in the yeast Pichia pastoris. However, this method has been shown to be effective up to a certain gene copy number, and a further increase of gene dosage can result in a decrease of expression level. Evidences indicate the gene dosage effect is product-dependent, which needs to be determined when expressing a new protein. Here, we describe a direct detection of the gene dosage effect on protein secretion through expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene under the direction of the ${\alpha}$-factor preprosequence in a panel of yeast clones carrying increasing copies of the EGFP gene (from one to six copies). Directly examined under fluorescence microscopy, we found relatively lower levels of EGFP were secreted into the culture medium at one copy and two copies, substantial improvement of secretion appeared at three copies, plateau happened at four and five copies, and an apparent decrease of secretion happened at six copies. The secretion of EGFP being limiting at four and five copies was due to abundant intracellular accumulation of proteins, observed from the fluorescence image of yeast and confirmed by western blotting, which significantly activated the unfolded protein response indicated by the up-regulation of the BiP (the KAR2 gene product) and the protein disulfide isomerase. This study implies that tagging a reporter like GFP to a specific protein would facilitate a direct and rapid determination of the optimal gene copy number for high-yield expression.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.9-14
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• 2015

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is a major pathogen in laboratory mice that usually leads to fatal diseases, such as hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, and respiratory disease. MHV has a high infection rate, and it needs to be detected as soon as possible to prevent its spread to other facilities. However, MHV detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) often gives false positives; thus, it is very important that the results are confirmed as true positives in the early infection stage or distinguished as false positives with more accurate, reliable methods. Under microbiological screening, MHV ELISA-positive mice were found in four GFP-tagging transgenic mice. To verify the detection of the MHV antigen directly, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed, and the mice were determined to be MHV negative. Additional serum antibody-based screening was conducted with three different ELISA kits, and multiplexed fluorometric immunoassay (MFIA) was performed to confirm their accuracy/sensitivity. In brief, the ELISA kit for A59 nucleocapsid protein (MHV-A59N) revealed MHV ELISA positivity, while other ELISA kits (MHV-S lysate and MHV-JHM lysate) demonstrated MHV negativity. In MFIA, only the test for the recombinant A59 nucleocapsid antigen was MHV positive, which was consistent with the ELISA results. These results suggest that the ELISA kit with the recombinant A59 nucleocapsid antigen might induce non-specific MHV ELISA positivity and that confirmation is therefore essential.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.483-493
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• 2010

Knock-out of a gene by insertional mutagenesis is a direct way to address its function through the mutant phenotype. Among ca. 15,000 gene-trapped Ds insertion lines of rice, we identified one line from selected sensitive lines in highly salt stress. We conducted gene tagging by TAIL-PCR, and DNA gel blot analysis from salt sensitive mutant. A gene encoding an oligopeptide transporter (OPT family) homologue was disrupted by the insertion of a Ds transposon into the OsOPT10 gene that was located shot arm of chromosome 8. The OsOPT10 gene (NP_001062118.) has 6 exons and encodes a protein (752 aa) containing the OPT family domain. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of OsOPT10 gene was rapidly and strongly induced by stresses such as high-salinity (250 mM), osmotic, drought, $100\;{\mu}M$ ABA. The subcellular localization assay indicated that OsOPT10 was localized specifically in the plasma membrane. Overexpression of OsOPT10 in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice conferred tolerance of transgenic plants to salt stress. Further we found expression levels of some stress related genes were inhibited in OsOPT10 transgenic plants. These results suggested that OsOPT10 might play crucial but differential roles in plant responses to various abiotic stresses.