• 생명과학회지
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• 제22권8호
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• pp.1024-1033
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• 2012

Kocuria gwangalliensis로부터 카로티노이드 생합성 경로의 첫 번째 단계 기질인 geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP)를 생합성하는 GGPP synthase (CrtE)를 암호화하고 있는 crtE를 클로닝 하여 이를 KgGGPP로 명명하였다. 기존 세균에서 밝혀진 GGPP synthase의 아미노산 서열을 NCBI에서 검색하여 KgGGPP synthase의 아미노산 서열과 비교한 결과 Kocuria rhizophila와 59.6%의 상동성을 가지는 것을 확인하였다. crtE 유전자를 대장균에서 발현 시키기 위하여 pCcrtE 재조합 DNA를 구축하였고, 이를 대장균에서 발현시킨 결과 약 41 kDa의 재조합 단백질이 과발현 됨을 확인 할 수 있었으며, 이 단백질은 기존 세균에서 밝혀진 GGPP synthase와 유사한 분자량을 가지고 있다는 것을 알 수 있었다. CrtE 재조합 단백질의 활성을 분석하기 위하여 대장균 내에서 라이코펜의 생합성을 유도 하였다. 대장균의 경우 메발론산 경로를 통하여 FPP와 IPP를 생합성 하지만 crtE, crtB, crtI 유전자가 없기 때문에 라이코펜을 생합성 하지는 못한다. 대장균 내에서 라이코펜의 생합성을 위해서는 crtE, crtB, crtI 유전자의 발현이 필수적으로 요구되기 때문에 crtB, crtI 유전자의 경우는 P. haeundaensis에서 유래한 유전자를 이용하여 pRScrtBI 재조합 DNA를 구축하여 그 발현을 유도하였다. 상기 두 재조합 DNA를 대장균에서 공발현 시켰으며, HPLC 분석법을 이용하여 대장균 내에서 라이코펜의 생산 유무에 따른 KgGGPP synthase의 활성을 분석하였다.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.54-59
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• 2009

Carotenoids such as $\beta$-carotene and astaxanthin are used as food colorants, animal feed supplements and for nutritional and cosmetic purposes. In a previous study, an astaxanthin biosynthesis gene cluster was isolated from the marine bacterium, Paracoccus haeundaensis. Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) synthase (CrtE), encoded by the ortE gene, catalyzes the formation of GGPP from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), which is an essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of carotenoids in early steps. In order to study the biochemical and enzymatic characteristics of this important enzyme, a large quantity of purified GGPP synthase is required. To overproduce GGPP synthase, the crtE gene was subcloned into a pET-44a(+) expression vector and transformed into the Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) codon plus cell. Transformants harboring the crtE gene were cultured and the crtE gene was over-expressed. The expressed protein was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and applied to study its biochemical properties and molecular characteristics.

• 한국발생생물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국발생생물학회 2007년도 전기 24차 학술대회
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• pp.3-3
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• 2007

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.59-66
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• 2007

배아줄기세포를 이용한 치료법 개발을 위해서는 배아줄기세포의 자가재생산 및 분화과정을 조절하는 분자적 기전을 이해하는 것이 매우 중요하다. 지질합성경로(Mevalonate pathway)에 작용하는 HMG-CoA 환원효소(Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase)의 억제제인 스타틴은 콜레스테롤 저하제로 잘 알려져 있으며, 콜레스테롤 이외에 단백질 isoprenylation의 기질로 작용하는 아이소프레노이드(Isoprenoids)(Farnesyl pyrophosphate(FPP), Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate(GGPP))의 생성을 억제하는 효능을 가지고 있다. 스타틴에 의해 매개되는 표적단백질의 isoprenylation 억제는 다양한 세포내 신호전달과정에 영향을 미치게 되며, 결과적으로 세포기능을 조절하는데 핵심적인 역할을 하게 된다. 스타틴이 첨가된 배양배지에서 배양된 배아줄기세포는 자가재생산능이 억제되고 분화가 촉진되는데, 특히 지방/골세포 직계열로의 분화가 촉진된다. 배아줄기세포에서의 스타틴의 효과 및 작용기전에 대한 이해가 아직은 미비한 수준이나, 최근 우리 연구팀에서는 스타틴이 콜레스테롤 작용과는 무관하게 RhoA G-단백질의 세포내 분포 및 활성을 억제함으로써 배아 줄기세포의 자가재생산능을 억제하고 있음을 규명하였다. 스타틴 다면효과와 그 작용에 대한 이해는 배아줄기세포의 미분화 및 분화상태를 조절하는데 관여하는 분자적 조절기전을 이해하는데 중요한 모델이 될 수 있을 것으로 추정된다.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.92-95
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• 2011

Pyrophosphates are the key intermediates in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids, and their concentrations could reveal the benefits of statins in cardiovascular diseases. Quantitative analysis of five pyrophosphates, including isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP), geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP), farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in negative ionization mode. After dilution with methanol, samples were separated on a 3 ${\mu}m$ particle multi-modal $C_{18}$ column ($50{\times}2$ mm) and quantified within 10 min. The gradient elution consists of 10 mM ammonium bicarbonate and 0.5% triethylamine (TEA) in water and 0.1% TEA in 80% acetonitrile was used at the flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Overall recoveries were 51.4-106.6%, while the limit of quantification was 0.05 ${\mu}g$/mL for GPP and FPP and 0.1 ${\mu}g$/mL for IPP, DMAPP, and GGPP. The precision (% CV) and accuracy (% bias) of the assay were 1.9-12.3% and 89.6-111.8%, respectively, in 0.05-10 ${\mu}g$/mL calibration ranges ($R^2$ > 0.993). The devised LC-MS/MS technique with the multi-modal $C_{18}$ column can be used to estimate the biological activity of pyrophosphates in plasma and may be applicable to cardiovascular events with cholesterol metabolism as well as the drug efficacy of statins.

• BMB Reports
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.77-82
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• 1998

To purify the geranylgeranyl protein transferase type I (GGPT-I) efficiently, a gene expression system using the pGEX-4T-1 vector was constructed. The cal1 gene, encoding the ${\beta}$ subunit of GGPT-I, was subcloned into the pGEX-4T-1 vector and co-transformed into E. coli cells harboring the ram2 gene, the ${\alpha}$ subunit gene of GGPT-I. GGPT-I was highly expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST) in E. coli, purified to homogeneity by glutathione-agarose affinity chromatography, and the GST moiety was excised by thrombin treatment. The purified yeast GGPT-I showed a dose-dependent increase in the transferase activity, and its apparent $K_m$ value for an undecapeptide fused with GST (GST-PEP) was $0.66\;{\mu}M$ and the apparent value for geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) was $0.071\;{\mu}M$.

• 약학회지
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• 제57권6호
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• pp.388-393
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• 2013

Previously, we have reported that lovastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, increased melanin synthesis through intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release in B16 cells. In this study we investigated the possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the mechanism of lovastatin-induced melanogenesis. Lovastatin elevated NO formation in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with mevalonate, farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), precursors of cholesterol, did not significantly alter the lovastatin-induced NO production, suggesting that inhibition of cholesterol metabolism may not be involved in the mechanism of this action of lovastatin. Both NO formation and melanogenesis induced by lovastatin was significantly suppressed by treatment with $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 2-(4-carboxy-2-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylinidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO), an inhibitor of NO synthase and a NO scavenger, respectively. The lovastatin-induced NO production was significantly affected not by EGTA, an extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator, but by an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator (BAPTA/AM) and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blockers (dantrolene and TMB-8). Taken together, these results suggest that lovastatin may induce melanogenesis through NO formation mediated by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release in B16 cells. These results further suggest that lovastatin may be a good candidate for the therapeutic application of various hypopigmentation disorders.

• 약학회지
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• 제57권1호
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• pp.24-31
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• 2013

Although statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, have been shown to increase melanin synthesis, the exact mechanism of this action is not fully understood. In this study we investigated the possible involvement of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signal in the mechanism of stimulation of melanin synthesis induced by lovastatin in B16 cells. Lovastatin stimulated the production of melanin in a dose-dependent manner in the cells. Treatment with mevalonate, FPP and GGPP, precursors of cholesterol, did not significantly suppress the lovastatin-induced melanin production, suggesting that inhibition of cholesterol synthesis may not be involved in the mechanism of the action of lovastatin. In addition, lovastatin did not significantly alter the cAMP concentration and the stimulated production of melanin by lovastatin was not significantly changed by treatment with H89, a potent inhibitor of protein kinase A, which demonstrates that cAMP pathway may not be involved. However, lovastatin increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in a dose-related fashion. Treatment with EGTA, an extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator did not significantly alter the lovastatin-induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase and melanin synthesis, whereas intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ reduction with BAPTA/AM and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blockers (dantrolene and TMB-8) completely blunted these actions of lovastatin. Taken together, these results suggest that the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release may play an important role in the lovastatin-induced stimulation of melanin synthesis in B16 cells. These results further suggest that lovastatin may be useful for the treatment of hypopigmentation disorders, such as vitiligo.