• Applied Microscopy
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.34-46
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• 1988

The stimulation-secretion coupling in the pancreatic acinar cell have been studied by electron microscope. Morphological changes in the cells exhibited the cellular response induced by acetylcholine and MNNG. MNNG, a guanylate cyclase activator, induced the formation of numerous secretory granules in a period after the agent administration. This result suggest that guanylate cyclase potentiated the early sustained response in pancreatic acinar cells stimulated by acetylcholine. Cycloheximide and dibucaine reduced the secretory granules in number during sustained period. In pancreatic acinar cells, the secretion granules were considered to be directly packaged from cisternal space of endoplasmic reticulum.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 1998

Cyclosporin A (CsA), a widely used immunosuppressant, is well known to cause nephrotoxicity and hypertension as major side effects. The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of CsA-pretreatment on the activities of cytosolic guanylate cyclase (cGC) in relation to the alteration of relaxant responses in the rat thoracic aorta. CsA $(10\;{\mu}M)-preincubation$ for 90 min significantly attenuated the vasodilatation induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a cytosolic guanylate cyclase activator, shifting the dose-response curve to the right. The increase in cGMP contents induced by SNP was markedly attenuated by CsA. SNP ($1\;{\mu}M{\sim}\;mM$) increased the cGC activity dose-dependently, and the increase was completely abolished by CsA. CsA attenuated the SNP-induced cGC activation dose-dependently. The abolishing effect of CsA-pretreatment on the SNP-induced cGC activation was not affected by washing the preparation, suggesting that the inhibition is irreversible. When CsA was added simultaneously with SNP, cGC activation was not attenuated. 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methyl piperazine (H-7), a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, decreased SNP-induced cGC activation and blocked the CsA-attenuation of cGC activation. These results suggest that CsA directly inhibits cGC participating in the CsA-induced impairment of vasodilatation, and that PKC is involved in the inhibitory action of CsA on cGC.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.337-341
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• 2006

The present study was designed to investigate the protein expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and guanylyl cyclase (GC) activity in ischemia/perfusion (I/R) renal injury in rats. Renal I/R injury was experimentally induced by clamping the both renal pedicle for 40 min in Sprague-Dawley male rats. The renal expression of NOS isoforms was determined by Western blot analysis, and the activity of guanylyl cyclase was determined by the amount of guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) formed in response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP), NO donor. I/R injury resulted in renal failure associated with decreased urine osmolality. The expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) was increased in I/R injury rats compared with controls, while endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) expression was decreased. The urinary excretion of NO metabolites was decreased in I/R injury rats. The cGMP production provoked by SNP was decreased in the papilla, but not in glomerulus. These results indicate an altered regulation of NOS expression and guanylyl cyclase activity in I/R-induced nephropathy.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.98-101
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• 2002

Euglena gracilis abruptly changes its swimming direction after a sudden increase or decrease in incident light intensity, that is, step-up or step-down photophobic responses, resulting in photoavoidance or photoaccumulation, respectively. To identify the photoreceptor molecules for these UV-A/blue-light type photobehaviors, we purified a flavoprotein from isolated putative photosencory organelles (PFBs) of Euglena. The purified flavoprotein, which noncovalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), seemed to be a heterotetramer of alpha- and beta-subunits. Predicted amino acid sequences of each of the subunits were similar to each other and contained two FAD-binding domains each followed by an adenylyl cyclase catalytic domain. The purified flavoprotein actually showed adenylyl cyclase activity, being drastically elevated by blue-light irradiation. Suppression of gene expression of the flavoprotein (Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclase, PAC) by RNA interference (RNAi) caused loss of the step-up photophobic response, demonstrating that PAC actually mediates photoavoidance of Euglena.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2001

Pepper plants (Nogkwang, 60-day old) were inoculated with Phytophthora capsici to induce sesquiterpene cyclase associated with the biosynthesis of phytoalexin (capsidiol), a substance related to the defense against pathogens in plants. One day after inoculation, mRNA was isolated from the root, cDNA synthesized, and a library constructed in a ZAP express XR vector. The efficiency was $2{\times}10^6pfu/{\mu}g$. Sesquiterpene cyclase cDNA from Hyoscyamus muticus was labeled with $^{32}P$ and used as a probe for screening the cDNA library. After the third screening, 25 positive clones were selected. Through restrictive digestion and DNA gel-blot analysis, six different cyclase gene expressions were identified. PSC1B sequences of the six clones were determined, which were 1966 base pairs encoded 556 amino acids with an expected molecular weight of 63.8 kDa. Response against the pathogen was different between the resistant and susceptible peppers. After the infection of the pathogen, the expression of PSC genes continued in the resistant peppers while the plants were alive. The expression in the susceptible peppers lasted for only 4 days.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.657-663
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• 2004

Tobacco transformants harboring cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase gene (C4H) fused with susquiterpene cyclase promoter was developed in order to regulate biosynthesis of phenolic compounds by the expression of the introduced gene. Twenty transformants for each specific promoter were used to analyze the incorporation of the chimeric genes by PCR and Southern blot analysis. PCR products of NPTII(neomycin phosphotransferase) gene (553bp) were detected in the transgenic tobacco plants. The incorporation of the chimeric gene was confirmed in the Southern blot analysis. C4H activity in the transgenic plants was elevated by UV-irradiation and its level was higher compared to that of control plants.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1998

Murine CD38 is a 42 kDa type II glycoprotein expressed on cell surface of both B and T lymphocytes. CD38 is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the formation and hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR): ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity of CD38 catalyzes the formation of cADPR from NAD and cADPR hydrolase activity of CD38 catalyzes the hydrolysis of cADPR to ADP-ribose (ADPR). And also, CD38 has the catalytic activity of NAD glycohydrolase (NADase) which catalyzes the hydrolysis of catalyzes the formation and hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR): ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity of CD38 catalyzes the formation of cADPR from NAD to ADPR. In this study, we attempted to purify CD38 from mouse lymphocytes by using the immobilized anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. The single step immuno-affinity column chromatography resulted in homogeneous purification, showing a single protein of 42 kDa on a SDS polyacrylamide gel. We have investigated the effects of various inhibitors on the enzyme activities of the purified CD38. Cibacron blue (0.5 mM) inhibited all three enzyme activities of CD38, NADase, ADP-ribosyl cyclase and cADPR hydrolase activities. ADPR (2 mM) showed inhibitory effect on both cADPR hydrolase activity and NADase, but not on ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity. However, ATP (2 mM) inhibited only cADPR hydrolase activity. $Zn^{2+}$ (1 mM) showed similar inhibitory effect as that of ADPR, but activated cyclase activity These results suggest that CD38 has three different catalytic activity domains which might be differentially regulated by their specific inhibitors.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 2005

배 경: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)은 양의 시상하부에서 추출된 신경펩타이드 호르몬으로 난소에도 존재하여 배양된 과립막 세포에서 스테로이드합성과 cyclic AMP 형성을 촉진함이 보고되었다. 목 적: 흰쥐 난소를 실험 모델로 사용하여 배란시 황체화호르몬 (luteinizing hormone; LH)에 의해 유도된 PACAP과 PACAP 수용체의 유전자 발현양상과 신호 전달경로를 규명하고자 하였다. 재료 및 방법: 미성숙 흰쥐의 배란전 난포를 체외 배양하면서 LH로 처리하고 PACAP 및 PACAP수용체의 유전자 발현을 보기 위해서는 Northern blot 분석과 in situ hybridization (ISH)을, 그리고 단백질 수준의 PACAP 검색을 위해서는 enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) 분석을 이용하였다. 결 과: LH 처리 후 Northern blot상의 PACAP 유전자 발현은 6~9시간에 일시적으로 최고치에 도달하였으며 ISH로 보아 과립막 세포에서 발현됨을 알 수 있었다. ELISA 분석 상 PACAP 단백질도 LH처리 후 6~12시간에 최고치를 나타내었으며, PACAP 수용체 mRNA 역시 3~9시간에 최고치로 과립막 세포에서 발현되었다. Adenylate cyclase (AC) 억제제인 MDL12330A 처리시 LH로 발현된 PACAP mRNA가 감소되며, AC의 활성제인 forskolin 처리에는 LH시와 유사한 PACAP mRNA의 발현양상을 나타내었다. 그러나 protein kinase C (PKC)의 억제제인 chelerythrine과 2-0-tetradecanolphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) 처리로는 PACAP 의 유전자 발현에 영향을 주지 못하였다. 5-lipoxygenase의 억제제인 MK886이나 nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA)로 처리한 결과 LH로 유도된 PACAP 유전자의 발현이 감소되었으나, cyclooxygenase의 억제제인 indomethacin은 별로 영향을 주지 못하였다. MEK와 p38의 억제제인 PD98059와 SB203580도 LH로 촉진 된 PACAP의 유전자 발현을 농도 의존적으로 억제하였다. 결 론 : 배란전 난포에서 PACAP과 PACAP 수용체의 유전자 발현은 모두 LH의 폭발적 분비에 의해 유도되어 일시적으로 과립막 세포에서 나타나 배란을 위한 국소적인 조절 작용을 할 것으로 추정되며, LH로 촉진된 PACAP 유전자 발현을 위한 신호전달은 cAMP-PKA, lipoxygenase 및 MAP kinase 경로를 통하는 것으로 사료된다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.379-383
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• 2000

Pathophysiological implications of the vascular nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP pathway in hypertension were investigated. Sprague-Dawley rats were made deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive for six weeks. The protein expression of endothelial constitutive NO synthase (ecNOS) and the tissue content of NO were determined in the thoracic aorta. The protein expression and catalytic activity of soluble guanylyl cyclase (GC) were also determined. Systolic blood pressure measured on the day of experiment was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control. The hypertension was associated with decreases in the vascular tissue content of NO metabolites, concomitantly with the expression of ecNOS proteins. The protein expression of GC was not affected, while its catalytic activity was significantly decreased in hypertension. These results indicate that the high blood pressure is associated with a decreased activity of vascular NO/cGMP pathway in DOCA-salt hypertension.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.7
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• pp.369-375
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• 2014

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a pleiotropic bioactive peptide that was first isolated from an ovine hypothalamus in 1989. PACAP belongs to the secretin/glucagon/vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) superfamily. PACAP is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and acts as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and neurotrophic factor via three major receptors (PAC1, VPAC1, and VPAC2). Recent studies have shown a neuroprotective role of PACAP using in vitro and in vivo models. In this review, we briefly summarize the current findings on the neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects of PACAP in different brain injury models, such as cerebral ischemia, Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review will provide information for the future development of therapeutic strategies in treatment of these neurodegenerative diseases.