• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.453-458
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• 2007

Bacterial luciferase is a heterodimeric enzyme, which catalyzes the light emission reaction, utilizing reduced FMN (FMNH2), a long chain aliphatic aldehyde and $O_2$, to produce green-blue light. This enzyme can be readily classed as slow or fast decay based on their rate of luminescence decay in a single turnover. Mutation of Glu175 in $\alpha$ subunit to Gly converted slow decay Xenorhabdus Luminescence luciferase to fast decay one. The following studies revealed that changing the luciferase flexibility and lake of Glu-flavin interactions are responsible for the unusual kinetic properties of mutant enzyme. Optical and thermodynamics studies have caused a decrease in free energy and anisotropy of mutant enzyme. Moreover, the role of Glu175 in transition state of folding pathway by use of stopped-flow fluorescence technique has been studied which suggesting that Glu175 is not involved in transition state of folding and appears as surface residue of the nucleus or as a member of one of a few alternative folding nuclei. These results suggest that mutation of Glu175 to Gly extended the structure of Xenorhabdus Luminescence luciferase, locally.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2013

Many intracellular proteins and signaling cascades contribute to the sensitivity of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). One such putative contributor is the serine/threonine kinase, protein kinase C (PKC). Activation of PKC by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) causes activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and promotes the formation of new spines in cultured hippocampal neurons. The purpose of this study was to examine which PKC isoforms are responsible for the PMA-induced augmentation of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 stratum radiatum of the hippocampus in vitro and verify that this facilitation requires NMDAR activation. We found that PMA enhanced the induction of LTP by a single episode of theta-burst stimulation in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting to magnitude of baseline field excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Facilitation of LTP by PMA (200 nM) was blocked by the nonspecific PKC inhibitor, Ro 31-8220 ($10{\mu}M$); the selective $PKC{\delta}$ inhibitor, rottlerin ($1{\mu}M$); and the $PKC{\varepsilon}$ inhibitor, TAT-${\varepsilon}V1$-2 peptide (500 nM). Moreover, the NMDAR blocker DL-APV ($50{\mu}M$) prevented enhancement of LTP by PMA. Our results suggest that PMA contributes to synaptic plasticity in the nervous system via activation of $PKC{\delta}$ and/or $PKC{\varepsilon}$, and confirm that NMDAR activity is required for this effect.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.121-128
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• 2016

Bean sprouts are often cultivated in the circumstances prevailing in the improper using of germicide and growth enhancer. The influence of ingestion those bean sprouts are unknown. The components of the bean sprouts are needed to evaluate for food safety. The extracts of the control, 0.5 g/L germicide, 1 g/L germicide, 12.5 mL/L growth enhancer and 25 mL/L growth enhancer were used to compare the components in the experiment. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) was used to analyze the extracts. Statistical analysis of metabolomics showed significant changes between the control and head and the stem of the bean sprouts. Significant changes in metabolites were identified with the bean sprouts cultivated with germicide and growth enhancer by applying qualitative and quantitative analysis. Similar changes in the area of the bean sprouts were observed after treated to germicide and growth enhancer. Although treating germicide and growth enhancer showed no particular harmful metabolites changes to human, it made significant changes in the morphological and the metabolites of the bean sprouts. These changes indicate that the germicide and growth enhancer has substantially potential to influence the growth of the bean sprouts.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2002

Effects of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), $1-{\alpha}-stearoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine$ (LPC), on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration were examined in mouse endothelial cells by measuring intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ with fura 2-AM and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). LPC increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ under the condition of 1.5 mM $[Ca^{2+}]_o$ but did not show any effect under the nominally $Ca^{2+}-free$ condition. Even after the store depletion with $30{\mu}M$ 2,5-di-tert- butylhydroquinone (BHQ) or $30{\mu}M$ ATP, LPC could still increase the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ under the condition of 1.5 mM $[Ca^{2+}]_o.$ The time required to increase [$Ca{2+}$]i (about 1 minute) was longer than that for ATP-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase $(10{\sim}30\;seconds).$ LPC-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase was completely blocked by $1{\mu}M\;La^{3+}.$ Transient receptor potential channel(trpc) 4 mRNA was detected with RT-PCR. From these results, we suggest that LPC increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ via the increase of $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the $Ca^{2+}$ routes which exist in the plasma membrane.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2001

Tryptic activation of the 130-kDa Bacillus thuringiensis Cry4B $\delta$-endotoxin produced protease-resistant products of ca. 47 kDa and ca. 21 kDa. The 21-kDa fragment was identified as the N-terminal five-helix bundle (${\alpha}1-{\alpha}5$,) which is a potential candidate for membrane insertion and pore formation. In this study, we constructed the recombinant clone over-expressing this putative pore-forming (PPF) fragment as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. The partially purified inclusions were composed of a 23-kDa protein, which cross-reacted with Cry4B antibodies, and whose N-terminus was identical to that of the 130-kDa protein. Dissimilar to protoxin inclusions, the PPF inclusions were only soluble when the carbonate buffer, pH 9.0, was supplemented with 6 M urea. After renaturation via a stepwise dialysis, the refolded PPF protein appeared to exist as an oligomer and was structurally stable upon trypsin treatment. Unlike the 130kDa protoxin, the refolded protein was able to release entrapped glucose from liposomes, and showed comparable activity to the full-length activated toxin, although it lacks larvicidal activity These results, therefore, support the notion that the PPF fragment that consists of ${\alpha}1-{\alpha}5$ of the activated Cry4B toxin is involved in membrane pore-formation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3559-3563
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• 2015

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relative contribution of CYP1A2 isoforms (-3860 G/A, -2467T/delT and -163C/A) in control subjects and breast cancer patients to the metabolism of caffeine in human liver. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified Fragments (PCR-RFLP) was used for the genotyping of CYP1A2 SNPs and HPLC allowed the phenotyping through the measurement of CYP1A2 activity using the 17X + 13X + 37X/137X urinary metabolite ratio (CMR) and plasma caffeine half life (T1/2). The CYP1A2 -3860A genotype was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. In contrast, distributions of the CYP1A2 -2467T/delT or -2467delT/delT and -163A/C or A/A genotypes among breast cancer patients and controls were similar. When the genotype and phenotype relationship was measured by comparing the mean CMR ratios and caffeine half life within the genotype groups between subjects and breast cancer patients, there were no significant differences except for -3860 A, most of them being homozygous for the -3860 G/G SNP and had a significant higher mean CMR ratio and half life than those with -3860 G/A (P=0.02). The results of this preliminary study show a significant association between CP1A2 -3860 G variant and CYP1A2 phenotype which must be confirmed by further large-size case-control studies.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to provide a basis for studying the molecular mechanism of pharmacological action of chlorhexidine digluconate. Fluorescence polarization of n-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid was used to examine the effect of chlorhexidine digluconate on differential rotational mobility of different positions of the number of membrane bilayer phospholipid carbon atoms. The six membrane components differed with respect to 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 16-(9-anthroyloxy)stearic acid (2-AS, 3-AS, 6-AS, 9-AS, 12-AS and 16-AP) probes, indicating different membrane fluidity. Chlorhexidine digluconate increased the rate of rotational mobility of hydrocarbon interior of the cultured Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membranes (OPG) in a dose-dependent manner, but decreased the mobility of surface region (membrane interface) of the OPG. Disordering or ordering effects of chlorhexidine digluconate on membrane lipids may be responsible for some, but not all of its bacteriostatic and bactericidal actions.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.192-197
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• 1996

L-Xylosone was detected as its quinoxaline derivative in the degradation solution of dehydro-L-ascorbic acid. The production rate of L-xylosone was much faster in aerated phosphate-cirate buffer (pH 5. 6) than in pure water. L-Xylosone and dehydro-L-ascorbic acid were identified in the crude extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The concentration of L-xylosone in the crude cell extracts was calculated to be about 0.2 nmol $(mg protein)^{-1}$. When L-xylosone was added to asynchronous culture of S. cerevisiae, it inhibited primarily the synthesis of protein and RNA. Examination of the effect of L- xylosone on synchronous culture of the yeast indicated that L-xylosone inhibited the initiation of DNA replication and that the cells were arrested at $G_1$, stage of cell division cycle. These results suggested a possibility that L-xylosone can act as an inhibitor of cell growth.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.730-736
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• 2007

The interaction of a polyoxometal (POM), K6SiW11Co(H2O)O39.10H2O (K6) as a Keggin, with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by different methods and techniques. Binding studies show two sets of binding sites for interaction of POM to HSA. Binding analysis and isothermal calorimetery revealed that, the first set of binding site has lower number of bound ligand per mole of protein (ν), lower Hill constant (n), higher binding constant (K), more negative entropy (ΔS) and more electrostatic interaction in comparison to the second set of binding site. In addition, differential scanning calorimetery (DSC) and spectrophotometery data showed that, there are two energetic domains. The first domain is less stable (lower Tm and Cp) which corresponds to the tail segment of HSA and another with more stability is related to the head segment of HSA. Polyoxometal also decreases the stability of protein as Tm, secondary and tertiary structure as well as quenching of the fluorescence decrease. On other hand, perturbations in tertiary structure are more than secondary structure.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2000

Although nociceptive informations are thought to be processed via different neural mechanisms depending on the types of stimuli, sufficient data have not been accumulated yet. We performed a series of experiments to elucidate the possible neural mechanisms as to chemical stimuli such as formalin, capsaicin and ATP. Single unit activity of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons and high threshold cells were recorded extracellularly from the lumbosacral enlargement of cat spinal cord before and after chemical stimulation to its receptive field (RF). Each chemical substance - formalin $(20{\mu}l,\;4%),$ capsaicin (33 mM) or Mg-ATP (5 mM)- was injected intradermally into the RFs and then the changes in the spontaneous activity, mechanical threshold and responses to the peripheral mechanical stimuli were observed. In many cases, intradermal injection of formalin (5/11) and capsaicin (8/11) resulted in increase of the spontaneous activity with a biphasic pattern, whereas ATP (8/8) only showed initial responses. Time courses of the biphasic pattern, especially the late response, differed between formalin and capsaicin experiments. One hour after injection of each chemical (formalin, capsaicin, or ATP), the responses of the dorsal horn neurons to mechanical stimuli increased at large and the RFs were expended, suggesting development of hypersensitization (formalin 6/10, capsaicin 8/11, and ATP 15/19, respectively). These results are suggested that formalin stimulates peripheral nociceptor, local inflammation and involvement of central sensitization, capsaicin induces central sensitization as well as affects the peripheral C-polymodal nociceptors and neurogenic inflammation, and ATP directly stimulates peripheral nociceptors.