• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2003

The regulation of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis has been proved to be controlled by a regulatory protein PyrR-mediated attenuation in the Gram-positive bacteria. After several bacterial genome sequencing projects, we have discovered the PyrR orthologues in the databases for Haemophilus influenzae and Synechocystis and sp. PCC6803 genome sequences. To investigate whether these PyrR orthologue proteins regulate pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis as well as the cases of Bacillus, the PyrR regions of each strains were amplified by PCR and cloned with pUC19 or T-vector in Escherichia coli and with a shuttle vector pHPS9 for E. coli and B. subtilis. For the regulation test of the PyrR orthologues, the aspartate-transcarbamylase (ATCase) assay was carried out. From the results of the ATCase assay, it was confirmed that Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 could not restore by pyrimidines to a B. subtilis, PyrR but H. influenzae PyrR could. For Purification of PyrR orthologue proteins, PyrR orthologue genes were cloned into the expression vector (pET14b). Over-expressed product of PyrR orthologue genes was purified and analyzed by the SDS-PACE. The purified PyrR orthologue proteins from H. influenzae and Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 turned out to be molecular mass of 18 kDa and 21 kDa, respectively. The result of uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (UPRTase) assay with purified PyrR orthologue proteins showed that H. influenzae PyrR protein only has UPRTase activity. In addition, we could predict several regulatory mechanisms that PyrR orthologue proteins regulate pyrimidine de novo synthesis in bacteria, through phylogenetic analysis for PyrR orthologue protein sequences.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2005

TRPV2 is a non-specific cation channel expressed in sensory neurons, and activated by noxious heat. Particularly, TRPV2 has six transmembrane domains and three ankyrin repeats. TRPV2 has been cloned from various species such as human, rat, and mouse. Oocytes of Xenopus laevis - an African clawed frog ­have been widely used for decades in characterization of various receptors and ion channels. The functional property of rat TRPV2 was also identified by this oocyte expression system. However, no TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus laevis has been reported so far. Hence, we have focused to clone a TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus laevis with the aid of bioinformatic tools. Because the genome sequence of Xenopus laevis is not available until now, a genome sequence of Xenopus tropicalis - a close relative species of Xenopus laevis - was used. After a number of bioinformatic searches in silico, a predicted full-length sequence of TRPV2 orthologue of Xenopus tropicalis was found. Based on this predicted sequence, various approaches such as RT-PCR and 5' -RACE technique were applied to clone a full length of Xenopus laevis TRV2. Consequently, a full-length Xenopus laevis TRPV2 was cloned from heart cDNA.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1036-1043
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• 2006

The transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning technique allows selective isolation of chromosome regions or genes from complex genome. The procedure requires knowledge of relatively small genomic sequences that reside adjacent to the chromosome region of interest. This method involves homologous recombination during spheroplast transformation between genomic DNA and a TAR vector that has 5' and 3' gene targeting sequences (hooks). To examine whether TAR cloning can be applied to the isolation of gene homologues, we chose the HPRT genes from human and mouse genome. As results, the yield of positive clones for HPRT gene from human and mouse genome when using a TAR vector containing mHPRT hook or hHPRT hook was almost same level. Analysis of the gap regions in mHPRT revealed that they contain abnormalities that could result in instability of the sequences. In conclusion, we were able to use the TAR cloning technology to isolate gene homologue (orthologue) from nonidentical genome. Moreover, the use of the TAR cloning system may accelerate work on closing the remaining gaps in mammalian genome to achieve the goal of annotation of all mammalian genes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.228-234
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• 2005

Caenorhabditis elegans him-6 mutants, which show a high incidence of males and partial embryonic lethality, are defective in the orthologue of human Bloom's syndrome protein (BLM). When strain him-6(e1104) containing a missense him-6 mutation was irradiated with ${\gamma}$-rays during germ cell development or embryogenesis, embryonic lethality was higher than in the wild type, suggesting a critical function of the wild type gene in mitotic and pachytene stage germ cells as well as in early embryos. Even in the absence of ${\gamma}$-irradiation, apoptosis was elevated in the germ cells of the him-6 strain and this increase was dependent on a functional p53 homologue (CEP-1), suggesting that spontaneous DNA damage accumulates due to him-6 deficiency. However, induction of germline apoptosis by ionizing radiation was not significantly affected by the deficiency, indicating that HIM-6 has no role in the induction of apoptosis by exogenous DNA damage. We conclude that the C. elegans BLM orthologue is involved in DNA repair in promeiotic cells undergoing homologous recombination, as well as in actively dividing germline and somatic cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.167-179
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• 2005

The cells of metazoans respond to DNA damage by either arresting their cell cycle in order to repair the DNA, or by undergoing apoptosis. This response is highly conserved across species, and many of the genes involved in this DNA damage response have been shown to be inactivated in human cancers. This suggests the importance of DNA damage response with regard to the prevention of cancer. The DNA damage checkpoint responses vary greatly depending on the developmental context, cell type, gene expression profile, and the degree and nature of the DNA lesions. More valuable information can be obtained from studies utilizing whole organisms in which the molecular basis of development has been well established, such as Drosophila. Since the discovery of the Drosophila p53 orthologue, various aspects of DNA damage responses have been studied in Drosophila. In this review, I will summarize the current knowledge on the DNA damage checkpoint response in Drosophila. With the ease of genetic, cellular, and cytological approaches, Drosophila will become an increasingly valuable model organism for the study of mechanisms inherent to cancer formation associated with defects in the DNA damage pathway.

• Mycobiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.457-465
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• 2019

MonA is a subunit of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is important for vacuole passing and autophagy processes in eukaryotes. In this study, we characterized the function of MonA, an orthologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mon1, in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans and a toxigenic fungus A. flavus. In A. nidulans, the absence of AnimonA led to decreased fungal growth, reduced asexual reproduction, and defective cleistothecia production. In addition, AnimonA deletion mutants exhibited decreased spore viability, had reduced trehalose contents in conidia, and were sensitive to thermal stress. In A. flavus, deletion of AflmonA caused decreased fungal growth and defective production of asexual spores and sclerotia structures. Moreover, the absence of monA affected vacuole morphology in both species. Taken together, these results indicate that MonA plays conserved roles in controlling fungal growth, development and vacuole morphology in A. nidulans and A. flavus.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.875-880
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• 2008

Mbu-3 is a novel mouse brain unigene that was identified by digital differential display. In this study, expression of the gene was chased through developmental stages and the protein product was identified in the brain. The cDNA sequence was 3,995-bp long and contained an ORF of 745 AA. Database searches revealed that the chicken SST273 gene containing LRR- and Ig-domain was an mbu-3 orthologue. Tissue specificity for the gene was examined in embryos and in brains at post-natal and adult stages. During the embryonic stages, mbu-3 was localized to the central nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. In the early post-natal stages, the gene was evenly expressed in the brain. However, with aging, expression was confined to specific regions, particularly the hippocampus. The protein was approximately 95 kDa as determined by Western blot analysis of brain extracts.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.239-245
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• 2005

Transformation-Associated Recombination (TAR) cloning technique allows selective isolation of chromosomal regions and genes from complex genomes. The procedure requires knowledge of relatively small genomic sequences that reside adjacent to the chromosomal region of interest. This technique involves homologous recombination during yeast spheroplast transformation between genomic DNA and a TAR vector that has 5' and 3' gene targeting sequences. In this study, we examined the effect of non-homologous spacing sequence in target hooks on homologous recombination using a plasmid model system. The efficiency of homologous recombination between the modified his3-TRP1-his3 fragments and HlS3 gene on plasmid were analyzed by the characterization of $Ura^+$ transformants. The numbers of $Ura^+$ transformant showed same level when seven different modified his3-TRP1-his3 fragments were used. But the percentage of positive recombinants. $Trp^+His^-$, dramatically decreased when used the modified his3-TRP1-his3 fragments contained incorrect spacing of nonhomologous region. As a result, we suggest that incorrect spacing inhibits the homologous recombination between target hook and substrate DNA. Therefore, we should consider the correct spacing in target hook when the target hook are used for cloning of orthologue gene.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2004

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is stabilized by the herpes-virus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP), a deubiquitinating enzyme. We previously isolated and characterized a mouse orthologue of HAUSP, mHAUSP. mHAUSP cDNA consisted of 3,312 bp encodes 1,103 amino acids with a molecular weight of approximately 135 kDa containing highly conserved Cys, Asp (I), His, and Asn/Asp (II) domains. In this study, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis of 6 conserved amino acids (Cys224, Gln231, Asp296, His457, His465, and Asp482) in Cys box, QQD box, and His box. Interestingly, the conserved Gln 231 was not essential for the catalytic activity of mHAUSP. However, the other conserved amino acids were required for deubiquitinating activity of mHAUSP. We performed isopeptidase assay and confirmed that mHAUSP is able to remove ubiquitin from ubiquitinated substrates. In addition, we observed that mHAUSP induces apoptosis in HeLa cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.138-146
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• 2009

Background: The MHC region of the chromosome contains a lot of genes involved in immune responses. Here we have investigated the mouse NG29/Cd320 gene in the centrometrically extended MHC region of chromosome 17. Methods: We cloned the NG29 gene by RT-PCR and confirmed the tissue distribution of its gene expression by northern blot hybridization. We generated the NG29 gene expression constructs and polyclonal antibody against the NG29 protein to perform the immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation and flow cytometric analysis. Results: The murine NG29 gene and its human homologue, the CD320/8D6 gene, were similar in the gene structure and tissue expression patterns. We cloned the NG29 gene and confirmed its expression in plasma membrane and intracellular compartments by transfecting its expresssion constructs into HEK 293T cells. The immunoprecipitation studies with rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against the NG29-NusA fusion protein indicated that NG29 protein was a glycoprotein of about 45 kDa size. A flow cytometric analysis also showed the NG29 expression on the surface of Raw 264.7 macrophage cell line. Conclusion: These findings suggested that NG29 gene in mouse extended MHC class II region was the orthologue of human CD320 gene even though human CD320/8D6 gene was located in non-MHC region, chromosome 19p13.