Calmodulin: very large conformation change of helix uncoiling, hinge-bending and domain rotation. Calmodulin (CaM) is the principal Ca$\^$2＋/ -dependent regulator of a variety of important eukaryotic cellular processes. In many of these processes, calmodulin activates a plethora of target enzymes, and the calmodulin-binding domains in several targets have been shown to residue in a region of about 18-residue peptide segment.(omitted)

A concept that extracellular ATP plays a role as a neurotransmitter is now widely accepted. ATP released from nerve terminals transmits both excitatory and inhibitory signals to postsynaptic neurons, muscle cells, and non-excitable cells. ATP-activated channels are effectors that convert the binding of ATP into the opening of ion channel pores in postsynaptic membrane.(omitted)

Gaegurin 4 is an antimicrobial peptide found in the skin of a Korean frog, Rana rugosa, known for its "wound-healing" effect for years. This 37-residue basic peptide binds to cell membranes and forms ion channels like other antimicrobial peptides but does not exhibit hemolytic activity.(omitted)

Structure of potent derivatives of gaegurin, an antimicrobial peptide from Korean frog, is studied by CD and NMR spectroscopy. Gaegurin did not show any secondary structure in aqueous environment, but adopted ${\alpha}$-helix in aqueous TFE solution, SDS and liposome buffer. NMR study showed distinct difference in stability near proline residue in helix.(omitted)

Recent studies indicate that hydrogen peroxide (H$_2$O$_2$), which is one of the reactive oxygen species involved in the oxidative stress, is an intracellular secondary messenger in the signal transduction. A novel family of thiol specific antioxidant (TSA) enzymes with a peroxidase activity shows no sequence homology to previously known antioxidant enzymes.(omitted)

Extracelluar ATP evokes many biological processes, including neuronal excitation and neurotransmitter secretion, through activation of purinergic P2 receptors. Although excitatory and inhibitory receptor-operated channels (ROC) and voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC) have been reported to be altered by acute and chronic exposure to ethanol, little is known of the ethanol effects on purinergic receptor-operated channels in neuronal cells.(omitted)

We investigated the relationship between the voltage-operated calcium channel current and the corresponding [Ca$^{2＋}$]i change (Ca$^{2＋}$-transient) in guinea-pig gastric myocyte. Fluorescence microspectroscopy was combined with conventional whole-cell patch clamp technique and fura-2 (80 $\mu$M) was added into the CsCl-rich pipette solution.(omitted)

Chronic treatment with cyclosporin A (CsA) were shown to induce reversible alterations of contractile properties in rat heart. To define the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological alterations, the $Ca^{2＋}$ release channel (CRC) and $Ca^{2＋}$-ATPase in rat sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were examined.(omitted)

Glucagon fragments dimyristorylphosphatidylcholine(DMPC) liposomes into discoidal complex. The concentration of glucagon required to fragment the vesicles increases with increasing pH and the fragmentation appears to be the result of glucagon binding to the vesicles.(omitted)

Transport of drug entrapped in a liposome-hydrogel formulation was significantly retarded in an in vitro topical application. Liposomes containing hydrocortisone acetate, a hydrophobic antiinflammatory agent, were prepared by the precipitation method, and the liposomal suspension was mixed with hydrogel into a semisolid gel-type ointment.(omitted)

The physiological activity of tracheal epithelial cells is closely related with the ionic conditions of cytosol, specially the concentration of cytosolic Ca$\^$2＋/. We have prepared microsomes in these cells and the molecular mechanisms of ionic regulations were investigated.(omitted)

Tolaasin, a 1.9 kDa peptide forming membrane pores, is produced by Pseudomonas tolaasii and causes a brown blotch disease on cultivated oyster mushroom. During the purification of peptide by a gel permeation chromatography, we have found that fractions of molecular weight ranges between ∼2 to 40 kDa have hemolytic activities and the fractions of higher M.W. showed faster hemolysis.(omitted)

We have investigated whether NO affects the activities of the rat brain Maxi- K channels reconstituted into the lipid bilayer. In order to introduce NO, we utilized an antibiotic, streptozotocin (STZ), which releases NO upon illumination. While adding STZ itself did not affect the channel activity, turning on the light in the presence of STZ induced an increase in the open probability (Po) of the channel.(omitted)

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGC's) contain a putative N-glycosylation site (Asn-X-Ser/Thr) in the linker regions connecting the fourth transmembrane domain (S4) and the ion conduction pore (P-region). This putative N-glycosylation site is highly conserved and thus found in many different CNGC in various organisms, from fruit to human.(omitted)

In the present study, we recorded CCh-activated nonselective cation (NSC) current in guinea-pig gastric smooth muscle cells and investigated the characteristics of the current. In whole-cell voltage-clamp mode, CCh activated NSC current. The same NSC current could be activated by internal dialysis of GTP${\gamma}$S.(omitted)

The effects of $a_1$-adrenoceptor stimulation on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ ([C $a^{2+}$]$_{i}$ ) transient, contraction, and L-type $Ca^{2＋}$ current ( $I_{Ca,L}$) were studied in single cells isolated from ventricles of guinea pig hearts. Phenylephrine, $\alpha$$_1$-adrenergic agonist, (5$\times$10$^{-5}$ ~10$^{-4}$ M) produced a biphasic pattern of inotropism： transient negative response (decrease in contraction by 23.9$\pm$2.5% of control) followed by a sustained positive response (increase in contraction by 60.0$\pm$3.4%, mean $\pm$ SD, n=12).(omitted)ted)

Stimulation of $\alpha$$_1$-adrenergic receptor ($\alpha$$_1$-AR) by phenylephrine produced a decrease in intracellular N $a^{＋}$ activity ( $a_{Na}$ $^{i}$ ) in multicellular preparations of cardiac tissues. The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in $\alpha$$_1$-adrenergic regulation of $a_{Na}$ $^{i}$ was studied in single ventricular myocyte isolated from guinea pig hearts. $a_{Na}$ $^{i}$ and membrane potential were measured with N $a^{+}$ indicator, sodium-binding benzofuran isophthalate tetraacetoxy methyl ester (SBFI/AM) and microelectrodes respectively when ventricular myocyte was stimulated at 0.3 Hz.(omitted)d)

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is widely used to suppress rejection in rcipients of solid organ or bone marrow transplants. A variety .of toxic side effects of this agent such as cardiotoxicity have been reported. However the underlying molecular mechanisms for the cardiotoxicity are not well resolved.(omitted)

Dysfunctions of skeletal muscles have been frequently reported in chronic diabetic mellitus (DM). In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms of abnormal function, the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (HSR) vesicles of skeletal muscles were prepared from the control and the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.(omitted)

Rapidly activating delayed K current (IKr) in cardiac muscles plays an important in repolarization. Expression of HERG cloned by the study on inherited LQT revealed that it encodes a potassium channel with biophysical properties similar to those of IKr in cardiac myocytes： outward currents activating on depolarization with large tail currents on repolarization, implying the inward rectifying property.(omitted)

The regulatory role of A$\sub$2A/ adenosine receptors in P$_2$ purinoceptor-mediated calcium signaling was investigated in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. When PC12 cells were treated with 2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (CGS21680), a specific agonist of the A$\sub$2A/ adenosine receptor, extracellular ATP-evoked [(CA$\^$2+/)]$\sub$i/ rise was inhibited by 20%.(omitted)

In HL-60 cells, extracellular A TP increases intracellular $Ca^{2＋}$ ([Ca$^{2＋}$]$_{i}$) in a concentration-dependent manner with the maximal response occurring around 10 $\mu$M. However, above the maximal responsive concentration ATP elicits different patterns of $Ca^{2＋}$ signaling.(omitted)d)

Vibrio vulnificus is an estuarine bacterium that has been associated with septicemia and serious wound infection in person. Cytolysin has been incriminated as one of the important virulence determinants. Little is known about the target cell of Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin in the body. Recently, we observed cytolysin-induced blood coagulation in rat.(omitted)

We model the voltage-gated cation channel on the basis of stochastic process by taking into account transmembrane movement of S4 group interacting electrostatically with permeant ions. It is assumed that the interaction between the ion and S4 group is repulsive harmonic force and the ionic motion is much faster than that of the S4 group.(omitted)

Protein glycation was studied with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein and methylglyoxal, a 3-carbon ${\alpha}$-ketoaldehyde. Methylglyoxal reacted with BSA, forming a radical as observed in the reaction of methylglyoxal wtih L-alanine or N-acetyl-L-lysine.(omitted)

The catalytic efficiency of pyranose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.10.) determined for various sugars showed that D-glucose is the preferred substrate and the enzyme oxidized the various aldonolactones. The specificity constants of pyranose oxidase determined for deoxy- and deoxyfluoro-D-glucoses showed that a hydroxy group at C-4 of D-glucose acts as a hydrogen-bone acceptor, at C-6 as a hydrogen-bond donor, and at C-1 as a hydrogen-bond donor.(omitted)

Serpins (serine protease inhibitor) are single polypeptide proteins of around 400 amino acids, and have a conserved secondary structure consisted of three ${\beta}$-sheets and nine ${\alpha}$-helices. Native conformation of inhibitory serpins is a metastable and requires conformational changes to inhibit target protease.(omitted)

Native strain of inhibitory SERPINS (Serine protease inhibitors) is thought to be used in the facile conformational switch to play biological regulation. Many heat stable variants of $\alpha$$_1$-antitrypsin, a prototype of inhibitory serpins, increased their stability by reducing the native strain.(omitted)

$\alpha$$_1$- Antitrypsin is a key plasma serine protease inhibitor and its prime physiological role is an inhibitor of leukocyte elastase. The reactive center loop of $\alpha$$_1$-antitrypsin is characterized by the unusual mobility and the ability of insertion into the central $\beta$ sheet A. In particular the rate of loop insertion is considered to be critical for the formation of a stable complex between a serpin and its target protease.(omitted)

The conformation studies of tenecin 3, which has been purified from the hemolymph of the meal worms Tenebrio molitor, was carried out by CD and NMR. This highly Gly-rich protein consisting of 78 amino acid residues shows similar biochemical features such as heat stability, humoral existence, and high contents of Gly and His residues to other insect antifungal proteins. (omitted)

Local conformation of helical peptides in TFE solution are studied by NMR spectroscopy. One is a helix containing proline and the other is its alanine derivative in which alanine is substituted for the proline. Chemical shift and temperature coefficient In NMR spectroscopy can be used preliminarily to determine secondary structure in proteins and peptides.(omitted)

Platelet production in blood is regulated by a lineage specific humoral factor called thrombopoietin (TPO). The amino terminal domain of TPO (TPO-N) has a sequence homology to erythropoietin (EPO) and is responsible for the signal transduction mediated by the TPO receptor, c-mpl.(omitted)

Ca$^{2＋}$ is one of the most common metal ions associated with proteins, playing more or less well-defined functional roles in biological activities. In protease, the presence of $Ca^{2＋}$ slows down autolysis and enhances thermal stability. Subtilisin, one of the best studied proteases, is known to have two $Ca^{2＋}$ -binding sites.(omitted)