• BMB Reports
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• 제43권8호
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• pp.541-546
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• 2010

We utilized a mammalian expression system to purify and characterize autotaxin (ATX)/lysophospholipase D, an enzyme present in the blood responsible for biosynthesis of lysophosphatidic acid. The human ATX cDNA encoding amino acids 29-915 was cloned downstream of a secretion signal of CD5. At the carboxyl terminus was a thrombin cleavage site followed by the constant domain (Fc) of IgG to facilitate protein purification. The ATX-Fc fusion protein was expressed in HEK293 cells and isolated from conditioned medium of a stable clone by affinity chromatography with Protein A sepharose followed by cleavage with thrombin. The untagged ATX protein was further purified to essential homogeneity by gel filtration chromatography with a yield of approximately 5 mg/liter medium. The purified ATX protein was enzymatically active and biologically functional, offering a useful tool for further biological and structural studies of this important enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.447-454
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• 2009

The transport of spermidine into a cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. pec 6803, was characterized by measuring the uptake of $^{14}C$-spermidine. Spermidine transport was shown to be saturable with an apparent affinity constant ($K_m$) value of $67{\mu}M$ and a maximal velocity ($V_{max}$) value of 0.45 nmol/min/mg protein. Spermidine uptake was pH-dependent with the pH optimum being 8.0. The competition experiment showed strong inhibition of spermidine uptake by putrescine and spermine, whereas amino acids were hardly inhibitory. The inhibition kinetics of spermidine transport by putrescine and spermine was found to be noncompetitive with $K_i$ values of 292 and $432{\mu}M$, respectively. The inhibition of spermidine transport by various metabolic inhibitors and ionophores suggests that spermidine uptake is energy-dependent. The diminution of cell growth was observed in cells grown at a high concentration of NaCl. Addition of a low concentration of spermidine at 0.5 mM relieved growth inhibition by salt stress. Upshift of the external osmolality generated by either NaCl or sorbitol caused an increased spermidine transport with about 30-40% increase at 10 mosmol/kg upshift.

• Journal of Information Display
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.165-168
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• 2010

A solution-processed multicomponent oxide, yttrium hafnium zinc oxide (YHZO), was synthesized and deposited as a gate insulator. The YHZO film annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ contained an amorphous phase based on the results of thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The electrical characteristics of the YHZO film were analyzed by measuring the leakage current. The high dielectric constant (16.4) and high breakdown voltage (71.6 V) of the YHZO films resulted from the characteristics of $HfO_2$ and $Y_2O_3$, respectively. To examine if YHZO can be applied to thin-film transistors (TFTs), indium gallium zinc oxide TFTs with a YHZO gate insulator were also fabricated. The desirable characteristics of the YHZO films when used as a gate insulator show that the limitations of the general binary-oxide-based materials and of the conventional vacuum processes can be overcome.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.89-97
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• 2000

The pyritization of heavy metals in Lake Shihwa sediments was investigated to determine sedimentary Pyrite-heavy metal associations influenced by various metal fractions, organic carbon, and total reduced sulfur. Parameters indicating the degree of heavy metal pyritization (DTMP) and degree of pyritization (DOP) were used to study the incorporation of heavy metals into the pyrite phase. The DOP levels ranged from 3.28-39.45%, showing wide differences among sampling stations. The levels were greater near the water gate and the center of the lake than near the industrial complex. The spatial pattern of the DOP levels was similar to the S/C ratio and also to the salinity. Based on the measured relationships between DOP and DTMP, heavy metals can be divided into three groups. In the first group was As, which showed a high affinity for pyrite. In the second group were Ni, Co and Cu, which showed a gradual increase in DTMP with increasing DOP. In the final group were Pb, Zn, Mn and Cr, which all showed a low DTMP with constant values with respect to DOP.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.171-178
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• 2000

To evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties and tissue distribution of a newly developed recombinant human erythropoietin (GC-rhEPO), we analyzed the plasma and tissue levels of erythropoietin by an ELISA after intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) adminstration to the male rats at the doses of 20, 100, 500 or 2,500 unit/kg. After single IV bolus injection of GC-rhEPO, the plasma concentration was rapidly increased and decreased with two phases with half-lives of 13.4 min and 2.94 hours. AUC was increased dose- dependently but plasma half-lives remained constant regardless of GC-rhEPO doses. Following SC administration, the plasma concentration increased slowly with half-life of 9.2 hours and reached peak at 8 hours. Mean residence time and bioavailability were 18.2 hours and 44%, respectively. After single IV dose of 100 unit/kg, tissue GC-rhEPO level was higher in bone marrow and spleen, while the depletion rate was slower in liver and bone marrow, indicating the higher affinity of GC-rhEPO to bone marrow. Taken together, the experimental results indicate that GC-rhEPO contained the typical pharmacokinetic properties and the tissue distribution patterns inherent to human erythropoietin.

• 분석과학
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.591-596
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• 1995

Enzyme multilayers composed of avidin and biotin-labeled enzymes were prepared on the surface of electrode, through a strong affinity between avidin and biotin (binding constant: ca $10^{15} M^{-1}$). The enzyme multilayers were useful for the improvement of the performance characteristies of enzyme sensors. The output current of the enzyme sensors depended linearly on the number of enzyme layers deposited. Thus, lactate oxidase (LOx) and alcohol oxidase (AlOx) were deposited after being modified with biotin for constructing enzyme sensors sensitive to L-lactate and ethanol respectively. It was also possible to deposit two different kinds of enzymes successively in a single multilayer. The glucose oxidase (GOx) and ascorbate oxidase (AsOx) were built into a multilayer structure on a Platinum electrode. The GOx, AsOx multilayer-modified electrode was useful for the elimination of ascorbic acid interference of the glucose sensor.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.1711-1716
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• 2010

A gene encoding the ${\beta}$-xylosidase/${\alpha}$-arabinofuranosidase (XylC) of Paenibacillus woosongensis was cloned into Escherichia coli. This xylC gene consisted of 1,425 nucleotides, encoding a polypeptide of 474 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited an 80% similarity with those of both Clostridium stercorarium ${\beta}$-xylosidase/${\alpha}$-N-arabinosidase and Bacillus cellulosilyticus ${\alpha}$-arabinofuranosidase, belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 43. The structural gene was subcloned with a C-terminal His-tag into a pET23a(+) expression vector. The His-tagged XylC, purified from a cell-free extract of a recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3) Codon Plus carrying a xylC gene by affinity chromatography, was active on para-nitrophenyl-${\alpha}$-arabinofuranoside (pNPA) as well as para-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-xylopyranoside (pNPX). However, the enzymatic activities for the substrates were somewhat incongruously influenced by reaction pHs and temperatures. The enzyme was also affected by various chemicals at different levels. SDS (5 mM) inhibited the enzymatic activity for pNPX, while enhancing the enzymatic activity for pNPA. Enzyme activity was also found to be inhibited by addition of pentose or hexose. The Michaelis constant and maximum velocity of the purified enzyme were determined for hydrolysis of pNPX and pNPA, respectively.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2001

The binding of cellobiohydrolases to cullulose is a crucial initial step in cellulose hydrolysis. In the search for a detailed understanding of the function of cellobiohydrolases, much information concerning how the enzymes and their constituent catalytic and cellulose-binding changes during hydrolysis is still needed. The adsorption of purified two cellobiohydrolases (Ce17A and Ce16A) from Trichoderma reesei cellulase to microcrystalline cellulose has been studied. Cellobiohydrolase II (Ce16A) does not affect the adsorption of cellobiohydrolase I (Ce17A) significantly, and there are specific binding sites for both Ce17A and Ce16A. The adsorption affinity and tightness of the cullulase binding domain (CBD) for Ce17A are larger than those of the CBD for Ce16A. The CBD for Ce17A binds more rapidly and tightly to Avicel than the CBD for Ce16A. The decrease in adsorption observed when the two cellobihydrolases are studied together would appear to be the result of competition for binding sites on the cellulose. Ce17A competes more efficiently for binding sites than Ce16A. Competition for binding sites is the dominating factor when the two enzymes are acting together, furthermore adsorption to sites specific for Ce17A and Ce16A, also contributes to the total adsorption.

• BMB Reports
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.525-529
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• 1996

Ligand binding properties of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were characterized by using filtration binding assays. Scatchard analysis using $[^{3}H]N-methylscopolamine$ ($[^{3}H]NMS$) showed that the dissociation constant ($K_d$) and the maximum binding value ($B_{max}$) were $3.3{\pm}0.8{\times}10^{10}$ M and $9.0{\pm}1.1$ fmol/mg protein, respectively. Binding competition experiments indicated that the affinities of C. elegans mAChRs to atropine, scopolamine, and oxotremorine were similar to those of mammalian mAChRs. Pirenzepine binding experiments revealed that the binding pattern of mAChRs in C. elegans closely resembled that of mAChRs in rat brain, suggesting that the receptors consist primarily of Ml subtype. The affinity of mAChRs for oxotrernorine was significantly affected by guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p), a non hydrolyzable GTP analog, suggesting that mAChRs in C. elegans might be coupled to G proteins. The data presented here indicate the possibility that C. elegans provides a living animal model to study the action mode of the muscarinic cholinergic system.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제25권11호
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• pp.1635-1640
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• 2004

The cyclophanes 1a-d containing two benzo[b]furan rings connected by various bridges have been prepared and their binding behaviors with N-benzylphenethylammonium cation 2 were examined by NMR titration method. The successive alkylation reactions of 4-hydroxyl groups and then 2-hydroxyl groups of 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenonse gave macrocycles 5a-c. Photoirradiation of the macrocycles 5a-c with 350 nm mercury lamp followed by dehydration afforded the cyclophanes 1a-c. Hydrolysis of two ester groups pendant on a bridge of 1b produced the carboxyl group-containing cyclophane 1d. The cyclophane 1a having a p-xylene bridge showed 1 : 1 binding with 2 with the binding constant of $36{\pm}6M^{-1}$ in 3 : 1 $CDCl_3$/methanol-$d_4$ solvent, while 1b and 1c which have neutral flexible bridges exhibited no appreciable binding with 2. The disodium salt of 1d showed much higher binding affinity for 2 forming 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes.