• Toxicological Research
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• 제17권
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• pp.109-115
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• 2001

Abrus agglutinin was purified from the kernels of Abrus precatorius by Sepharose 4B affinity column chromatography followed by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration column chromatography. About 1.25 g of abrus agglutinin was obtained from 1 kg of the kernels. The LD$_{50}$ of abrus agglutinin is 5 mg/kg of body weight, which is less toxic than that of abrin, 20$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg body weight. The amino acid sequence of abrus agglutinin was determined by protein sequencing techniques and deduced from the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding full length of abrus agglutinin. There are 258 residues, 2 residues and 267 residues in the A-chain, the linker peptide and the B-chain of abrus agglutinin, respectively. Abrus agglutinin had high homology to abrin-a (77.8%). The 13 amino acid residues involved in catalytic function, which are highly conserved among abrin and ricin, were also conserved within abrus agglutinin. The protein synthesis inhibitory activity of abrus agglutinin ($IC_{50}$/ = 3.5 nM) was weaker than that of abrin-a (0.05 nM). By molecular modeling followed by site-directed mutagenesis showed that Pro199 of abrus agglutinin A-chain located in amphipathic helix H and corresponding to Asn200 of abrin A-chain, can induce bending of helix H. This bending would presumably affect the binding of abrus agglutinin A-chain to its target sequence GpApGpAp, in the tetraloop structure of 285 r-RNA subunit and this could be one of major factors contributing to the relatively weak protein synthesis inhibitory activity and toxicity of abrus agglutinin.n.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.928-937
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• 2016

S-Nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) metabolizes S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and has been shown to play important roles in regulating cellular signaling and formulating host defense by modulating intracellular nitric oxide levels. The enzyme has been found in bacterial, yeast, mushroom, plant, and mammalian cells. However, to date, there is still no evidence of its occurrence in filamentous fungi. In this study, we cloned and investigated a GSNOR-like enzyme from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. The enzyme occurred in native form as a homodimer and exhibited low thermal stability. GSNO was an ideal substrate for the enzyme. The apparent K_m and k_cat values were 0.55 mM and 34,100 min^-1, respectively. Substrate binding sites and catalytic center amino acid residues based on those from known GSNORs were conserved in this enzyme, and the corresponding roles were verified using site-directed mutagenesis. Therefore, we demonstrated the presence of GSNOR in a filamentous fungus for the first time.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.197-208
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• 2014

A novel protease gene from Bacillus gibsonii, aprBG, was cloned, expressed in B. subtilis, and characterized. High-level expression of aprBG was achieved in the recombinant strain when a junction was present between the promoter and the target gene. The purified recombinant enzyme exhibited similar N-terminal sequences and catalytic properties to the native enzyme, including high affinity and hydrolytic efficiency toward various substrates and a superior performance when exposed to various metal ions, surfactants, oxidants, and commercial detergents. AprBG was remarkably stable in 50% organic solvents and retained 100% activity and stability in 0-4 M NaCl, which is better than the characteristics of previously reported proteases. AprBG was most closely related to the high-alkaline proteases of the subtilisin family with a 57-68% identity. The secretion and maturation mechanism of AprBG was dependent on the enzyme activity, as analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Thus, when taken together, the results revealed that the halo-solvent-tolerant protease AprBG displays significant activity and stability under various extreme conditions, indicating its potential for use in many biotechnology applications.

• 분석과학
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.378-385
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• 1997

본 실험은 human glutathione S-transferase P1-1의 tyrosine 7 잔기에 대한 변이체를 작성하고, 기질특이성과 저해제의 효과를 조사하여, 이 잔기의 기능을 분석한 것이다. 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene과 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane에 대한 GSH 포합반응에 대한 활성은 야생형에 비해 변이체 Y7F에서는 3~5%로 크게 저하하였으며, 효소에 결합한 GSH의 thiol기의 pKa는 2.4 pK 높았다. 저해제 hematin에 대한 $I^{50}$값은 야생형과 변이체 Y7F에서 비슷하게 나타났으며, 저해제 benastatin A와 S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) glutathione에 대한 $I^{50}$값들은 다소 감소하였다. 이러한 결과들로부터 tyrosine 7 잔기는 기질의 결합에 관여하기보다 GSH-chloronitrobenzene 유도체와 GSH-epoxide 포함반응에 대한 촉매활성에 중요하다고 생각된다.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.97-102
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• 2001

FMOs (Flavin-containing monooxygenases, EC1.14.13.8)는 다양한 종류의 식품, 약물이나 기타 외래 유래물질 (xenobiotics)를 산화시키는 NADPH와 $O_2$ 의존성 약물대사효소이다. 현재까지 5종의 subfamily가 존재하는 것으로 보고되어 있으며 그 중 잘 알려진 FMO3는 대표적 인 subfamily로서 주로 간에 존재한다 사람FMO에 관한 연구는 최근 들어 활성화되기 시작했으며 질소, 황이나 인 등을 포함하는 친핵성 (nucleophilic) 화합물이 대표적인 기질로 보고되어 있다. 본 연구에서는 thiocarbamide를 포함하고 있는 화합물에 대한 사람의 FMO3의 기질 특이성을 알아보고자 하였다. 사람 FMO3를 baculovirus system을 이용하여 대량으로 발현시킨 후 그 microsomal FMO3를 분리하여 thiocholine assay를 시행하였다. 그 결과 methimazole, thiourea, and phenylthiourea는 낮은 $K_{m}$ (4-10$\mu$M)간을 갖는 반면, 이보다 기질의 크기가 큰 1 ,3-diphenylthiourea, 1, 3-bis (3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-2-thiourea, 1, 1-dibenzyl-3-phenol-2-thiourea에서는 효소활성이 나타나지 않았다. 이는 사람 fM01과 비교하여 볼 때 큰 차이는 없었으며, 다른 pig, guinea pig, rat, rabbit에서 보다 받아들일 수 있는 기질의 크기가 더 제한적임을 알 수 있었다.

• 한국미생물생명공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국미생물생명공학회 2000년도 Proceedings of 2000 KSAM International Symposium and Spring Meeting
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• pp.157-167
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• 2000

A thermostable chitosanase gene from the isolated strain, Bacillus sp. CK4, was cloned, and its complete DNA sequence was determined. The thermostable chitosanase gene was composed of an 822-bp open reading frame which encodes a protein of 242 amino acids and a signal peptide corresponding to a 30 kDa enzyme in size. The deduced amino acid sequence of the chitosanase from Bacillus sp. CK4 exhibits 76.6%, 15.3%, and 14.2% similarities to those from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus ehemensis, and Bacillus circulans, respectively. C-terminal homology analysis shows that Bacillus sp. CK4 belongs to the Cluster III group with Bacillus subtilis. The size of the gene was similar to that of a mesophile, Bacillus subtilis showing a higher preference for codons ending in G or C. The functional importance of a conserved region in a novel chitosanase from Bacillus sp. CK4 was investigated. Each of the three carboxylic amino acid residues were changed to E50D/Q, E62D/Q, and D66N/E by site-directed mutagenesis. The D66N/E mutants enzymes had remarkably decreased kinetic parameters such as $V_{max}$ and k$\sub$cat/, indicating that the Asp-66 residue was essential for catalysis. The thermostable chitosanase contains three cysteine residues at position 49, 72, and 211. Titration of the Cys residues with DTNB showed that none of them were involved in disulfide bond. The C49S and C72S mutant enzymes were as stable to thermal inactivation and denaturating agents as the wild-type enzyme. However the half-life of the C211S mutant enzyme was less than 60 min at 80$^{\circ}C$, while that of the wild type enzyme was about 90 min. Moreover, the residual activity of C211S was substantially decreased by 8 M urea, and fully lost catalytic activity by 40% ethanol. These results show that the substitution of Cys with Ser at position 211 seems to affect the conformational stability of the chitosanase.

• BMB Reports
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.116-126
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• 2002

Nitric oxide (NO), synthesized from L-arginine by NO synthases, is a small, lipophilic, diffusible, highly reactive molecule with dichotomous regulatory roles in many biological events under physiological and pathological conditions. NO can promote apoptosis (pro-apoptosis) in some cells, whereas it inhibits apoptosis (anti-apoptosis) in other cells. This complexity is a consequence of the rate of NO production and the interaction with biological molecules such as metal ion, thiol, protein tyrosine, and reactive oxygen species. Long-lasting overproduction of NO acts as a pro-apoptotic modulator, activating caspase family proteases through the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol, up-regulation of the p53 expression, and alterations in the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins, including the Bcl-2 family. However, low or physiological concentrations of NO prevent cells from apoptosis that is induced by the trophic factor withdrawal, Fas, $TNF{\alpha}$/ActD, and LPS. The anti-apoptotic mechanism is understood on the basis of gene transcription of protective proteins. These include: heat shock protein, hemeoxygenase, or cyclooxygenase-2 and direct inhibition of the apoptotic executive effectors caspase family protease by S-nitrosylation of the cysteine thiol group in their catalytic site in a cell specific way. Our current understanding of the mechanisms by which NO exerts both pro- and anti-apototic action is discussed in this review article.

• BMB Reports
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.142-147
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• 2020

Lipid accumulation in white adipose tissue is the key contributor to the obesity and orchestrates numerous metabolic health problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Nonetheless, the prevention and treatment of obesity are still inadequate. Recently, scientists found that brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans has functions that are diametrically opposite to those of white adipose tissue and that BAT holds promise for a new strategy to counteract obesity. In this study, we evaluated the potential of sinapic acid (SA) to promote the thermogenic program and lipolysis in BAT. SA treatment of brown adipocytes induced the expression of brown-adipocyte activation-related genes such as Ucp1, Pgc-1α, and Prdm16. Furthermore, structural analysis and western blot revealed that SA upregulates protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation with competitive inhibition by a pan-PKA inhibitor, H89. SA binds to the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) site on the PKA catalytic subunit where H89 binds specifically. PKA-cat-α1 gene-silencing experiments confirmed that SA activates the thermogenic program via a mechanism involving PKA and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling. Moreover, SA treatment promoted lipolysis via a PKA/p38-mediated pathway. Our findings may allow us to open a new avenue of strategies against obesity and need further investigation.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.17-24
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• 2002

We have cloned a cDNA encoding a cysteine proteinase of the Acanthamoeba healui OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a granulomatous amoebic encephalitis patient. A DNA probe for an A. healui cDNA library screening was amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of conserved amino acids franking the active sites of cysteine and asparagine residues that are conserved in the eukaryotic cysteine proteinases. Cysteine proteinase gene of A. healui (AhCPI) was composed of 330 amino acids with signal sequence, a proposed pro-domain and a predicted active site made up of the catalytic residues, $Cys^{25},{\;}His^{159},{\;}and{\;}Asn^{175}$. Deduced amino acid sequence analysis indicates that AhCPI belong to ERFNIN subfamily of C 1 peptidases. By Northern blot analysis. no direct correlation was observed between AhCPI mRNA expression and virulence of Acanthamoeba, but the gene was expressed at higher level in amoebae isolated from soil than amoeba from clinical samples. These findings raise the possibility that AhCPI protein may play a role in protein metabolism and digestion of phagocytosed bacteria or host tissue debris rather than in invasion of amoebae into host tissue.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제31권9호
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• pp.2483-2487
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• 2010

Pseudo-first-order rate constants ($k_{obsd}$) were measured spectrophotometrically for nucleophilic substitution reactions of 4-nitrophenyl picolinate (6) with alkali metal ethoxides (EtOM, $M^+\;=\;K^+$, $Na^+$ and $Li^+$) in anhydrous ethanol at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. The plot of $k_{obsd}$ vs. [EtOM] exhibits upward curvature regardless of the nature of $M^+$ ions. However, the plot for the reaction of 6 with EtOK is linear with significantly decreased $k_{obsd}$ values when 18-crown-6-ether (18C6, a complexing agent for $K^+$ ion) is added in the reaction medium. Dissection of $k_{obsd}$ into $k_{EtO^-}$ and $k_{EtOM}$ (i.e., the second-order rate constant for the reaction with dissociated $EtO^-$ and ion-paired EtOM, respectively) has revealed that ion-paired EtOM is 3~17 times more reactive than dissociated $EtO^-$. The reaction has been proposed to proceed through a 5-membered cyclic transition state, in which $M^+$ ion increases the electrophilicity of the reaction site. Interestingly, $Na^+$ ion exhibits the largest catalytic effect. The presence of a nitrogen atom in the pyridine moiety of 6 has been suggested to be responsible for the high $Na^+$ ion selectivity.