• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.211-217
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• 2012

Recent studies have demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) activates transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) via S-nitrosylation of the channel protein. NO also modulates various cellular functions via activation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)/protein kinase G (PKG) pathway and the direct modification of proteins. Thus, in the present study, we investigated whether NO could indirectly modulate the activity of TRPV1 via a cGMP/PKG-dependent pathway in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitro-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), decreased capsaicin-evoked currents ($I_{cap}$). NO scavengers, hemoglobin and 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (CPTIO), prevented the inhibitory effect of SNP on $I_{cap}$. Membrane-permeable cGMP analogs, 8-bromoguanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (8bromo-cGMP) and 8-(4chlorophenylthio)-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-pCPT-cGMP), and the guanylyl cyclase stimulator YC-1 mimicked the effect of SNP on $I_{cap}$. The PKG inhibitor KT5823 prevented the inhibition of $I_{cap}$ by SNP. These results suggest that NO can downregulate the function of TRPV1 through activation of the cGMP/PKG pathway in peripheral sensory neurons.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2010

The serine/threonine kinase Akt has been shown to play a role of multiple cellular signaling pathways and act as a transducer of many functions initiated by growth factor receptors that activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). It has been reported that phosphorylated Akt activates eNDS resulting in the production of NO and that NO stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), which results in accumulation of cGMP and subsequent activation of the protein kinase G (PKG). It has been also reported that PKG activates PI3K/Akt signaling. Therefore, it is possible that PI3K, Akt, eNOS, sGC, and PKG form a loop to exert enhanced and sustained activation of Akt. However, the existence of this loop in eNOS-expressing cells, such as endothelial cells or astrocytes, has not been reported. Thus, we examined a possibility that Akt phosphorylation might be enhanced via eNOS/sGC/PKG/PI3K pathway in astrocytes in vivo and in vitro. Phosphorylation of Akt was detected in astrocytes after KA treatment and was maintained up to 72 h in mouse hippocampus. 2 weeks after KA treatment, astrocytic Akt phosphorylation was normalized to control. The inhibition of eNOS, sGC, and PKG significantly decreased Akt and eNDS phosphorylation induced by KA in astrocytes. In contrast, the decreased phosphorylation of Akt and eNDS by eNDS inhibition was significantly reversed with PKG activation. The above findings in mouse hippocampus were also observed in primary astrocytes. These data suggest that Akt/eNOS/sGC/PKG/PI3K pathway may constitute a loop, resulting in enhanced and sustained Akt activation in astrocytes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.449-458
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• 2019

Hepatitis B treatments using immune therapy are gaining interest because of the improvements in dendritic cell performance for antigen presentation, which induces an appropriate immune response and raises patient survival rates. This research aims to produce a significant amount of the HBcAg antigen, which can induce an immune response and have a curative effect on HBV infection. In this study, the HBV subgenotype B3 of the HBcAg gene was used, which is dominant in Indonesia. Further, Lactococcus lactis bacteria was used as the host because of its safety and tightly regulated protein expression. The codon usage for the HBcAg gene was optimized to improve protein expression in L. lactis, which is important because a codon is not random between species. The HBcAg gene is attached to a pNZ8148 plasmid and transformed into the L. lactis NZ3900 expression host. The results confirm that a positive protein band (21 kDa) in two fractions of purified HBcAg was recognized by both western blotting and dot blot hybridization, even if the HBcAg optimized codon has higher GC contents than that suggested for L. lactis expression. Overall, this research strengthens the broad use of L. lactis bacteria for any protein expression, including higher protein expression of codon optimized HBcAg gene compared to non-optimized genes. Furthermore, the improvement in the codon optimization of the HBcAg gene significantly increases the total protein expression by 10-20%, and the expression level of the codon optimized HBcAg increases 1.5 to 3.2-times that of the native HBcAg.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2007

Background: Although glucocorticoids (GCs) are effective in controlling asthma in the majority of patients, a subset of asthmatics fails to demonstrate a satisfactory response, even to systemic GC therapy. This population is referred to as being "steroid-resistant". The actual mechanism underlying steroid resistance in asthma remains to be elucidated. Methods: We have investigated how dexamethasone (DEX) regulates asthmatic phenotypes in a murine model of asthma, in which mice received i.p. immunization twice, followed by two bronchoprovocations with aerosolized OVA with a one-week interval, which we have recently described. Results: Pretreatment with DEX resulted in an inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in asthmatic lungs, and also inhibited bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) levels of NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$ and CC chemokines [eotaxin and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1]. DEX was effective in suppressing airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) at 10 h, Th2-dependent asthmatic phenotypes such as airway eosinophilia, BAL levels of Th2 cytokines (IL-5 and IL-13), and mucin production. However, DEX failed to suppress BAL levels of CXC chemokines [macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC)] and airway neutrophilia. Conclusion: Airway neutrophilia is among the phenomena observed in patients with severe GC-resistant asthma. This study will provide insight into the molecular basis for airway neutrophila seen in steroid-resistant asthma. Further studies are required to delineate the underlying mechanism of CXC chemokine expression in asthma.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.267-267
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• 1994

In order to obtain insight into the mechanism by which DNA containing a thymine photo-dimer is recognized by the excision repair enzyme, T$_4$ endonuclease V, we have taken NMR study of this protein and its complex with oligonucleotides. The conformations of five different DNA duplexes DNA I : d(GCGGATGGCG).d(CGCCTACCGC), DNA II d(GCGGTTGGCG) .d(CGCCAACCGC), DNA III : d(GCGGT ^ TGGCG) .d(CGCCAACCGC), DNA IV d(GCGGGCGGCG).d(CGCCCGCCGC) and DNA V d(GCGGCCGGCG) . d(CGCCGGCCGC) were studied by $^1$H NMR. The NMR spectra of these five DNA duplexes in the absence of the enzyme clearly show that the formation of a thymine dimer within the DNA induces only a minor distortion in the structure, and that the overall structure of B type DNA is retained. The photo-dimer formation is found to cause a large change in chemical shifts at the GC7 base pair, which is located at the 3'-side of the thymine dimer, accompanied by the major conformational change at the thymine dimer site. The binding of a mutant T$_4$ endonuclease V (E23Q), which is unable to digest DNA containing a thymine dimer, to the DNA duplex d(GCGGT ^ TGGCG)ㆍd(CGCCAACCGC) causes a large down-field shift in the imino proton resonance of GC7. Therefore, this position is thought to be either the crucial point of the interaction wi th T$_4$ endonuclease V, or the si to of a conformational change in the DNA caused by the binding of T$_4$ endonuclease V. Usually, it is very difficult to assign NMR peaks in DNA * protein complex because of severe peak overlaps. In order to overcome these peak overlaps, we used a method of deuterium incorporation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.354-361
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• 2005

Vibrio fluvialis, an enteropathogenic bacterium, produces a phospholipase which is thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of disease. In this study, the phospholipase gene (vfp) was identified from V fluvialis (KCTC 2473) and its sequence was determined. The entire open reading frame was composed of 1,689 nuc1eotides and 563 amino acids. The phospholipase gene (vfp) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a his-tag fused protein. This recombinant protein (rVFP58) was solubilized with 6 M urea and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The action mode of rVFP58 was determined by TLC and GC-MS, and it showed phospholipase B activity, which had both phospholipase A and lysophospholipase activities. The rVFP58 showed a maximum activity at pH around 9- 10 and temperature of about 40OC, and it was stable under alkaline condition over pH 9. The cytotoxicity of rVFP58 was evaluated, using a fish cell line, CHSE-2l4, and was found to cause significant cell death after 14 h of exposure to 250 $\mu$g of the protein.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.395-399
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• 2000

Five different freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria were used for the detection of cellular stresses caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals. These strains were DPD2794 (recA::luxCDABE), which is sensitive to DNA damage, DPD2540 (fabA::luxCDABE), sensitive to cellular membrane damage, DPD2511 (katG::luxCDABE), sensitive to oxidative damage, and TV1061 (grpE::luxCDABE), sensitive to protein damage. GC2, which emits bioluminescence constitutively, was also used in this study. The toxicity of several chemicals was measured using GC2. Damage caused by known endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as nonyl phenol, bisphenol A, and styrene, was detected and classified according to toxicity mode, while others, such as phathalate and DDT, were not detected with the bacteria. These results suggest that endocrine disrupting chemicals are toxic in bacteria, and do not act via an estrogenic effect, and that toxicity monitoring and classification of some endocrine disrupting chemicals may be possible in the field using these freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.39-47
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• 2017

Purpose: A sensitive gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed for screening of fatty acid oxidation disorders. Methods: The assay utilized a simple protein precipitation with sulfosalicylic acid followed by tert-butyl dimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatization of hydroxyl functional group by N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA). Results: Calibration curves of spiked pooled plasma showed a linear relationship in the range of 0.01 ng -2 mg with correlation coefficient value greater than 0.98. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were found in the range of 0.9-8.8 ng and 9-88 ng, respectively. Conclusion: The new developed method might be useful for a rapid, sensitive screening of inherited fatty acid oxidation disorders. In addition, the method expected to be one of the alternative method for screening newborns of metabolic disorders in the laboratories where expensive MS/MS is unavailable.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2007

Because of their selectivity and catalytic efficiency, BVMOs are highly valuable biocatalysts for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of a broad range of useful compounds. In this study, we investigated the microbial Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and sulfoxidation of thioanisole and bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one using whole Escherichia coli cells that recombined with each of the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases originated from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAOl and two from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). The three BVMOs were identified in the microbial genome database by a recently described protein sequence motif; e.g., BVMO motif(FXGXXXHXXXW). The reaction products were identified as (R)-/(S)-sulfoxide and 2-oxabicyclo/3-oxabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-6-en-2-one by GC-MS analysis. Consequently, this study demonstrated that the three enzymes can indeed catalyze the Baeyer-Villiger reaction as a biocatalyst, and effective annotation tools can be efficiently exploited as a source of novel BVMOs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.234-240
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• 1996

A double-stranded RNA binding factor (RBF), characterized as an inhibitor of PKR kinase in our previous study, was evaluated for its RNA binding specificities by RNA gel electrophoretic mobility shift analysis and membrane filter binding assay, RBF displayed affinities for a broad range of RNAs including viral RNAs and synthetic RNAs consiting of stem and loop structures. GC-rich RNA stem helices as short as 11 bp are suggested to represent the minimal binding motif for RBF. RBF binding to all the natural RNAs tested was reversible by poly(I): poly(C) addition, but E. coli 5S RNA was inefficient.