• BMB Reports
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.215-225
• /
• 1999

Phytochromes (with gene family members phyA, B, C, D, and E) are a wavelength-dependent light sensor or switch for gene regulation that underscore a number of photo responsive developmental and morphogenic processes in plants. Recently, phytochrome-like pigment proteins have also been discovered in prokaryotes, possibly functioning as an auto-phosphorylating/phosphate-relaying two-component signaling system (Yeh et al., 1997). Phytochromes are photochromically convertible between the light sensing Pr and regulatory active Pfr forms. Red light converts Pr to Pfr, the latter having a "switch-on" conformation. The Pfr form triggers signal transduction pathways to the downstream responses including the expression of photosynthetic and other growth-regulating genes. The components involved in and the molecular mechanisms of the light signal transduction pathways are largely unknown, although G-proteins, protein kinases, and secondary messengers such as $Ca^{2+}$ ions and cGMP are implicated. The 124-127 kDa phytochromes form homodimeric structures. The N-terminal half contains the tetrapyrrolic phytochromobilin for red/far-red light absorption. The C-terminal half includes both a dimerization motif and regulatory box where the red light signal perceived by the chromophore-domain is recognized and transduced to initiate the signal transduction cascade. A working model for the inter-domain signal communication within the phytochrome molecule is proposed in this Review.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.223-226
• /
• 2009

We measured the pH-induced spectral changes of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c on silver nanoparticle surfaces using surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) at 457.9 nm. At a pH of ~3, the Met80 ligand in yeast iso-1-cytochrome c is assumed to dissociate, leading to a marked conformational change as evidenced by the vibrational spectral shifts. The Soret band at ~410 nm in the UV-Vis spectrum shifted to ~396 nm at pH~3, indicating a transition from a low spin state to a high spin state from a weak interaction with a water molecule. Thus, SERRS spectroscopy can measure the pH-induced denaturalization of cyt c adsorbed on metal nanoparticle surfaces at a lower concentration with a better sensitivity than ordinary resonance Raman spectroscopy.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.178-188
• /
• 2004

We performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at 300 K on a series of poly(benzyl ether) (PBE) dendrimers having a different core functionalities. We used the rotational isomeric state Metropolis Monte Carlo (RMMC) method to construct the initial configuration in a periodic boundary cell (PBC) before the MD simulations were undertaken. To elucidate the effects that the structural features have on the chain dimension, the overall internal structure, and the morphology, we monitored the radii of gyration, R$\sub$g/ and the conformational changes during the simulations. The PBE dendrimers in a glassy state adopted less-extended structures when compared with the conformations obtained from the RMMC calculations. We found that R$\sub$g/ of the PBE dendrimer depends on the molecular weight, M, according to the relation, R$\sub$g/∼M$\^$0.22/. The radial distributions of the dendrimers were developed identically in the PBC, irrespective of the core functionality. A gradual decrease in radial density resulted from the fact that the terminal branch ends are distributed all over the molecule, except for the core region.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
• /
• v.1994 no.05
• /
• pp.142-145
• /
• 1994

Calcium(Ca) ion plays an important role to trigger the secretion of important neurotransmitters. Since Ca ion flows into the cell thru the ion selective channel, the conductance of which depends on the transmembrane potential, the voltage-dependent characteristic of Ca ion channel is crucial to elucidate the stimulus-secretion coupling of exocytosis. The present study measured the Ca ion currents thru a whole-cell configuration patch at the transmembrane potential clamped at various desired levels in the rat chromaffin cell. The resultant current-voltage relationship was differentiated to obtain dynamic conductance at each clamped voltage. Based on these measured data, five numerical parameters were extracted to reveal electrical properties of Ca ion inflow process thru the voltage-gated channel. The present study can be applied to comparing the electrical characteristics of Ca channel under different experimental conditions. Also, further study is warranted to model the conformational changes of the channel molecules.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.149-152
• /
• 2002

The effect of pressure on the catalytic properties of glutamate racemase from Aquifex pyrophilus, an extremophilic bacterium, was investigated. The activation volume for the overall reaction $({\Delta}V^{\neq})$ and catalysis $({{Delta}V_{cat}}^{\neq})$ was -96.97 ml/mol and 4.97 ml/mol, respectively, while the reaction volume for the substrate binding (${\Delta}V_{K_m^-1}$) was -101.94 ml/mol. The large negative ${\Delta}V^{\neq}$ for the overall reaction indicated that the pressurization of glutamate racemase resulted in enhanced catalytic efficiencies. In addition, this value was also due to the large negative ${Delta}V_{K_m^-1}$ for the substrate binding. The negative value of ${Delta}V_{K_m^-1}$ implied that the conformational changes in the enzyme molecule occurred during the substrate binding process, thereby increasing the degree of hydration. The small value of ${{Delta}V_{cat}}^{\neq}$suggested that the pressure did not affect the glutamate racemase catalysis after the substrate binding.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.29 no.10
• /
• pp.1937-1940
• /
• 2008

The P1 duplex of Tetrahymena group I ribozyme is the important system for studying the conformational changes in folding of ribozyme. The formation of the P1 duplex between IGS and substrate RNA and the catalytic activity of ribozyme require a variety of metal ions such as $Mg^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$. In order to investigate the effect of the $Mg^{2+}$ concentration on the conformation of the P1 duplex, the NMR study was performed as a function of $Mg^{2+}$ concentration. This study revealed that the less stable AU-rich region formed duplex at $50{^{\circ}C}$ under high $Mg^{2+}$ concentration condition but melts out under low $Mg^{2+}$ concentration condition. It was also found that in the active conformation under 10 mM $MgCl_2$ condition, the unstable central G${\cdot}$U wobble pair maintains the significant base pairing up to $50{^{\circ}C}$. This study provides the information of the unique feature of the P1 duplex structure and the roll of $Mg^{2+}$ ion on the formation of the active conformation.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2009

The methyl-directed mismatch repair (MMR) mechanism has been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo, but one of the difficulties in determining the biological relationships between the MMR-related proteins is the tendency of MutL to self-aggregate. The properties of a stable MutL homologue were investigated using a thermostable MutL (TmL) from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 and whose size exclusion chromatographic and crosslinking analyses were compatible with a dimeric form of TmL. TmL underwent conformational changes in the presence of nucleotides and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with ATP binding not requiring ssDNA binding activity of TmL, while ADPnP-stimulated TmL showed a high ssDNA binding affinity. Finally, TmL interacted with the T. maritima MutS (TmS), increasing the affinity of TmS to mismatched DNA base pairs and suggesting that the role of TmL in the formation of a mismatched DNA-TmS complex may be a pivotal observation for the study of the initial MMR system.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.646-652
• /
• 1999

The effect of temperature on the structure change of the SH of myosin head have been investigated with improved resolution by x-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The movement of myosin head and conformational change of contractile molecules were occurred in the muscle contraction. IASL (iodo acetamide) and MSL (maleimide) disordered the orderly helix arrangement of myosin in the rest state of spin level. The temperature effect on the structure change was great at the UL in the equatorial reflection. But those of IASL and MSL were minor. Equatorial reflection (10, 11) change inferred that myosin head was moved to the vicinity of actin filament by temperature change (from $25^{\circ}C$ to $0^{\circ}C$) at UL, but spin level was not changed. The intensity change of 143 $\AA$ and 72 $\AA$ could offer information of the mass profection of population of myosin heads along the filament axis. The slope of intensity profile of the mass profection of 143$\AA$ and reflection of MSL is appeared sharply and those of UL and IASL were not changed. The decrease of MSL actin reflection at 51 $\AA$ and 59 $\AA$ in the actin reflection change refers that the shifted myosin head binds a certain actin or changes an actin structure. From these results, we could conclude that IASL and MSL were spin labeled on SH of myosin head and disordered the helix arrangement of actin.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.609-616
• /
• 2004

Complexation of cesium ion by p-tert-butylcalix[6]arene ethyl ester was studied by NMR spectroscopy in nonpolar $CDCl_3$ and polar acetone-$d_6$ and the results were compared with each other. Analysis of temperature dependent $^1H$ spectra and titration curves reveals that both solvents result in a 1 : 1 cone-form complex with nonpolar $CDCl_3$yielding a more tightly bound one than acetone-$d_6$. Unexpectedly, at very low temperature, we have found that two phenyl ring proton peaks of equal intensity appear both in $CDCl_3$and in acetone-$d_6$ solution which gradually collapse and eventually coalesce into a single line as temperature is raised. This observation could be interpreted in terms of the chemical exchange through direct and/or indirect interconversion between two equivalent conformations possible the complex in both solvents over the temperature range observed. And broadening of $^{133}Cs$ (I = 7/2) nmr line with increasing temperature has also been observed, indicating the exchange of $^{133}Cs$ ion between the complex and the solvent. From numerical fitting of lineshape changes for one-dimensional $^1H$ and $^{133}Cs$ spectra, the exchange rate constants and other relevant parameters for this conformational interconversion and the complex-solvent exchange were deduced.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.373-380
• /
• 2005

For measles viruses, fusion on the cell membrane is an important initial step in the entry into the infected cells. The recent research indicated that hemagglutinin firstly leads the conformational changes in the fusion protein then co-mediates the membrane fusion. In the work, we use the co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down techniques to identify the interactions among fusion protein, hemagglutinin and signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM), which reveal that the three proteins can form a functional complex to mediate the SLAM-dependent fusion. Moreover, under the confocal microscope, fusion protein and hemagglutinin protein can show the cocapping mediated by the SLAM. So fusion protein not only is involved in the fusion but also might directly interact with the SLAM to be a new fusion-trimer model, which might account for the infection mechanism of measles virus.