• 제목/요약/키워드: Biology and Life Science

검색결과 4,241건 처리시간 0.036초

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase, AtCK, from Arabidopsis

  • Jeong, Jae Cheol;Shin, Dongjin;Lee, Jiyoung;Kang, Chang Ho;Baek, Dongwon;Cho, Moo Je;Kim, Min Chul;Yun, Dae-Jin
    • Molecules and Cells
    • /
    • 제24권2호
    • /
    • pp.276-282
    • /
    • 2007
  • Protein phosphorylation is one of the major mechanisms by which eukaryotic cells transduce extracellular signals into intracellular responses. Calcium/calmodulin ($Ca^{2+}/CaM$)-dependent protein phosphorylation has been implicated in various cellular processes, yet little is known about $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) in plants. From an Arabidopsis expression library screen using a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated soybean calmodulin isoform (SCaM-1) as a probe, we isolated a full-length cDNA clone that encodes AtCK (Arabidopsis thaliana calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase). The predicted structure of AtCK contains a serine/threonine protein kinase catalytic domain followed by a putative calmodulin-binding domain and a putative $Ca^{2+}$-binding domain. Recombinant AtCK was expressed in E. coli and bound to calmodulin in a $Ca^{2+}$-dependent manner. The ability of CaM to bind to AtCK was confirmed by gel mobility shift and competition assays. AtCK exhibited its highest levels of autophosphorylation in the presence of 3 mM $Mn^{2+}$. The phosphorylation of myelin basic protein (MBP) by AtCK was enhanced when AtCK was under the control of calcium-bound CaM, as previously observed for other $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinases. In contrast to maize and tobacco CCaMKs (calcium and $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinase), increasing the concentration of calmodulin to more than $3{\mu}M$ suppressed the phosphorylation activity of AtCK. Taken together our results indicate that AtCK is a novel Arabidopsis $Ca^{2+}/CaM$-dependent protein kinase which is presumably involved in CaM-mediated signaling.

CK2 phosphorylates AP-2α and increases its transcriptional activity

  • Ren, Kaiqun;Xiang, Shuanglin;He, Fangli;Zhang, Wenfeng;Ding, Xiaofeng;Wu, Yanyang;Yang, Liping;Zhou, Jianlin;Gao, Xiang;Zhang, Jian
    • BMB Reports
    • /
    • 제44권7호
    • /
    • pp.490-495
    • /
    • 2011
  • Transcription factor AP-$2{\alpha}$ involves in the process of mammalian embryonic development and tumorigenesis. Many studies have shown that AP-$2{\alpha}$ functions in association with other interacting proteins. In a two-hybrid screening, the regulatory subunit ${\beta}$ of protein casein kinase 2 ($CK2{\beta}$) was identified as an interacting protein of AP-$2{\alpha}$; we confirmed this interaction using in-vitro GST pull-down and in-vivo co-immunoprecipitation assays; in an endogenous co-immunoprecipitation experiment, we further found the catalytic subunit ${\alpha}$ of protein casein kinase 2 ($CK2{\alpha}$) also exists in the complex. Phosphorylation analysis revealed that AP-$2{\alpha}$ was phosphorylated by CK2 kinase majorly at the site of Ser429, and such phosphorylation could be blocked by CK2 specific inhibitor 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole (TBB) in a dose-dependent manner. Luciferase assays demonstrated that both $CK2{\alpha}$ and $CK2{\beta}$ enhanced the transcription activity of AP-$2{\alpha}$; moreover, $CK2{\beta}$ increased the stability of AP-$2{\alpha}$. Our data suggest a novel cellular function of CK-2 as a transcriptional co-activator of AP-$2{\alpha}$.

Comparative Evaluation of Conidia, Blastospores and Culture Filtrates from Entomopathogenic Fungi against Tetranychus urticae

  • Yun, Hwi-Geon;Kim, Dong-Jun;Lee, Ji-Hoon;Ma, Ji-In;Gwak, Won-Seok;Woo, Soo-Dong
    • International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
    • /
    • 제35권1호
    • /
    • pp.58-62
    • /
    • 2017
  • The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) has sustained damage on more than 200 host plants worldwide. Many farmers have relied on chemical acaricides to control mite, but the abuse of acaricides has caused serious resistance to mite. To overcome this problem, microbial control using entomopathogenic fungi have been studied. Entomopathogenic fungi have been an important role against the control of pest, and most of their culture products have been demonstrated to have virulence against pest population. In this study, we evaluated and compared the virulence of culture filtrates, aerial conidia and blastospores of selected Metarhizium anisopliae 4-2 and Beauveria bassiana 2R-3-3-1, respectively, among two-spotted spider mite-pathogenic fungi. As a result, the virulence was confirmed in all treatments, and the accumulated mortality rates were between 77 and 100% within 7 days. Especially, treatment with the fungal culture filtrate alone exhibited quite high virulence, and combined treatment with aerial conidia or blastospores enhanced activity. However, the median lethal time of treatments was not significantly different. When two isolates were compared, M. anisopliae 4-2 showed higher virulence than B. bassiana 2R-3-3-1. These results suggest that the selected two fungal isolates and their culture products could be used effectively for the control of two-spotted spider mite.

A Laboratory-Scale Study of the Applicability of a Halophilic Sediment Bioelectrochemical System for in situ Reclamation of Water and Sediment in Brackish Aquaculture Ponds: Establishment, Bacterial Community and Performance Evaluation

  • Pham, Hai The;Tran, Hien Thi;Vu, Linh Thuy;Dang, Hien The;Nguyen, Thuy Thu Thi;Dang, Thu Ha Thi;Nguyen, Mai Thanh Thi;Nguyen, Huy Quang;Kim, Byung Hong
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • /
    • 제29권7호
    • /
    • pp.1104-1116
    • /
    • 2019
  • In this study, we investigated the potential of using sediment bioelectrochemical systems (SBESs) for in situ treatment of the water and sediment in brackish aquaculture ponds polluted with uneaten feed. An SBES integrated into a laboratory-scale tank simulating a brackish aquaculture pond was established. This test tank and the control (not containing the SBES) were fed with shrimp feed in a scheme that mimics a situation where 50% of feed is uneaten. After the SBES was inoculated with microbial sources from actual shrimp pond sediments, electricity generation was well observed from the first experimental week, indicating successful enrichment of electrochemically active bacteria in the test tank sediment. The electricity generation became steady after 3 weeks of operation, with an average current density of $2.3mA/m^2$ anode surface and an average power density of $0.05mW/m^2$ anode surface. The SBES removed 20-30% more COD of the tank water, compared to the control. After 1 year, the SBES also reduced the amount of sediment in the tank by 40% and thus could remove approximately 40% more COD and approximately 52% more nitrogen from the sediment, compared to the control. Insignificant amounts of nitrite and nitrate were detected, suggesting complete removal of nitrogen by the system. PCR-DGGE-based analyses revealed the dominant presence of Methylophilus rhizosphaerae, Desulfatitalea tepidiphila and Thiothrix eikelboomii, which have not been found in bioelectrochemical systems before, in the bacterial community in the sediment of the SBES-containing tank. The results of this research demonstrate the potential application of SBESs in helping to reduce water pollution threats, fish and shrimp disease risks, and thus farmers' losses.