• BMB Reports
• /
• v.54 no.5
• /
• pp.233-245
• /
• 2021

In eukaryotes, the genome is hierarchically packed inside the nucleus, which facilitates physical contact between cis-regulatory elements (CREs), such as enhancers and promoters. Accumulating evidence highlights the critical role of higher-order chromatin structure in precise regulation of spatiotemporal gene expression under diverse biological contexts including lineage commitment and cell activation by external stimulus. Genomics and imaging-based technologies, such as Hi-C and DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), have revealed the key principles of genome folding, while newly developed tools focus on improvement in resolution, throughput and modality at single-cell and population levels, and challenge the knowledge obtained through conventional approaches. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of principles of higher-order chromosome conformation and technologies to investigate 4D chromatin interactions.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.157-166
• /
• 2005

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a key molecule to decode the genetic information on mRNA to amino aicds (protein), in a ribosome. For tRNA to fulfill its adopter function, tRNA should be processed into the standard length, and be post-transcriptionally modified. This modification step is essential for the tRNA to maintain the canonical L-shaped structure, which is required for the decoding function of tRNA. Otherwise, it has recently been proposed that modification procedure itself contributes to the RNA (re)folding, where the modification enzymes function as a kind of RNA chaperones. Recent genome analyses and post-genome (proteomics and transcriptomics) analyses have identified genes involved in the tRNA processings and modifications. Furthermore, post-genomic structural analysis has elucidated the structural basis for the tRNA maturation mechanism. In this paper, the recent progress of the structural biology of the tRNA processing and modification is reviewed.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.1925-1930
• /
• 2011

Psychrophilic bacteria have acquired cold-resistance in order to protect themselves against freezing temperatures, which would otherwise be lethal. DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE systems are molecular chaperones which facilitate proper folding of newly synthesized proteins. Efficient folding processes are of great importance especially in a cold environment, such as the Arctic. In order to understand the protection mechanisms of psychrophilic bacteria against cold temperatures, we have explored a genome of KOPRI22215, tentatively identified as Psychromonas arctica, whose genome sequence has not yet been discovered. With an aim of searching for a coding gene of DnaK from KOPRI22215, we have applied a series of polymerase chain reactions (PCR) with homologous primers designed from other Psychromonas species and LA PCR in vitro cloning. 1917 bp complete coding sequence of dnaK from KOPRI22215 was identified including upstream promoter sites. Recombinant plasmids to overexpress PaDnaK along with EcDnaK (DnaK of E. coli) were then constructed in pAED4 vector and the pET-based system to induce PaDnaK expression by IPTG. Characterization assays of expressed PaDnaK were carried out by measuring survival rates upon 4 day incubation at 4 $^{\circ}C$: a refolding assay as molecular chaperone, and ATPase assay for functional activity. Taking account of all the data together, we conclude that PaDnaK was identified, successfully expressed, and found to be more efficient in providing cold-resistance for bacterial cells.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.39-43
• /
• 2011

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently discovered small RNA molecules usually resulting in translational repression and gene silencing. Despite the fact that specific cloning of small RNA's is a method in practice, computational identification of miRNA's has been a major focus recent days, since is a rapid process following AB initio and sequence alignment methods. Here we developed new software called MiRPI that aims to identify the highly conserved miRNAs without any mismatches from given fasta formatted gene sequences by using non-repeated miRNA dataset of the user's interest. The new window embedded with the software is used to identify the targets for inputted mature miRNAs in the mRNA sequences. Also MiRPI is designed to measure the precursor miRNA statistics, majorly focusing the Adjusted Minimum Folding free Energy (AMFE) and Minimum Folding free Energy Index (MFEI), the most important parameters in miRNA confirmation. MiRPI is developed by PERL (Practical Extraction and Report Language) and Tk (Tool kit widgets) scripting languages. It is user friendly, portable offline software that works in all windows OS, sized to 3 MB.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.80-86
• /
• 2014

Foldback intercoil (FBI) DNA is formed by the folding back at one point of a non-helical parallel track of double-stranded DNA at as sharp as $180^{\circ}$ and the intertwining of two double helixes within each other's major groove to form an intercoil with a diameter of 2.2 nm. FBI DNA has been suggested to mediate intra-molecular homologous recombination of a deletion and inversion. Inter-molecular homologous recombination, known as site-specific insertion, on the other hand, is mediated by the direct perpendicular approach of the FBI DNA tip, as the attP site, onto the target DNA, as the attB site. Transposition of DNA transposons involves the pairing of terminal inverted repeats and 5-7-bp tandem target duplication. FBI DNA configuration effectively explains simple as well as replicative transposition, along with the involvement of an enhancer element. The majority of diverse retrotransposable elements that employ a target site duplication mechanism is also suggested to follow the FBI DNA-mediated perpendicular insertion of the paired intercoil ends by non-homologous end-joining, together with gap filling. A genome-wide perspective of transposable elements in light of FBI DNA is discussed.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.44.1-44.3
• /
• 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and ubiquitous robotic companions -the three most notable technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution-are receiving renewed attention each day. Technologies that can be experienced in daily life, such as autonomous navigation, real-time translators, and voice recognition services, are already being commercialized in the field of information technology. In the biosciences field in Korea, such technologies have become known to the local public with the introduction of the AI doctor Watson in large number of hospitals. Additionally, AlphaFold, a technology resembling the AI AlphaGo for the game Go, has surpassed the limit on protein folding predictions-the most challenging problems in the field of protein biology. This report discusses the significance of AI technology and big data on the bioscience field. The introduction of automated robots in this field is not just only for the purpose of convenience but a prerequisite for the real sense of AI and the consequent accumulation of basic scientific knowledge.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.595-597
• /
• 2001

오늘날 인간 유전체 프로젝트(Human Genome Project)의 완성은 인간의 모든 유전자 서열정보를 제공하게 되었으며, 이러한 데이터를 바탕으로 생명현상과 관련된 산업 및 연구가 각광받게 되었다. 특히 생명체의 특정 기능을 파악하기 위한 단백질 3차 구조에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행중이다. 본 논문에서는 단백질 3차 구조를 추상적으로 기술 할 수 있는 표현기법을 기술한다. 제안된 표현기법은 단백질 2차 구조요소($\alpha$-나선구조와 $\beta$-병풍구조)를 이용하여 인접한 구성요소간의 접힘(folding)에 대한 관계를 기술하여 추상적인 단백질 3차 구조를 표현한다. 제안된 표현기법으로 기술된 추상적 단백질 3차 구조 표현은 단백질 구조에 대한 보다 빠른 이해와 다른 단백질 구조와 비교될 수 있는 장점을 지닌다.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.568-573
• /
• 2021

This study identified genomic factors associated with endoplasmic reticulum protein (ERp)29 gene expression in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of genetic variants, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In total, 373 European genes from the 1000 Genomes Project were analyzed. SNPs with an allelic frequency of less than or more than 5% were removed, resulting in 5,913,563 SNPs including in the analysis. The following expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) from the long noncoding RNA LOC105372577 were strongly associated with ERp29 expression: rs6138266 (p<4.172e10), rs62193420 (p<1.173e10), and rs6138267 (p<2.041e10). These were strongly expressed in the testis and in the brain. The three eQTL were identified through a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) and showed a significant association with ERp29 and osteosarcoma amplified 9 (OS9) expression. Upstream sequences of rs6138266 were recognized by ChIP-seq data, while HaploReg was used to demonstrate how its regulatory DNA binds upstream of transcription factor 1 (USF1). There were no changes in the expression of OS9 or USF1 following ER stress.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.38 no.8
• /
• pp.715-722
• /
• 2015

In Gram-negative bacteria in the periplasmic space, the dimeric thioredoxin-fold protein DsbC isomerizes and reduces incorrect disulfide bonds of unfolded proteins, while the monomeric thioredoxin-fold protein DsbA introduces disulfide bonds in folding proteins. In the Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, the reduced form of CueP scavenges the production of hydroxyl radicals in the copper-mediated Fenton reaction, and DsbC is responsible for keeping CueP in the reduced, active form. Some DsbA proteins fulfill the functions of DsbCs, which are not present in Gram-positive bacteria. In this study, we identified a DsbA homologous protein (CdDsbA) in the Corynebacterium diphtheriae genome and determined its crystal structure in the reduced condition at $1.5{\AA}$ resolution. CdDsbA consists of a monomeric thioredoxin-like fold with an inserted helical domain and unique N-terminal extended region. We confirmed that CdDsbA has disulfide bond somerase/reductase activity, and we present evidence that the N-terminal extended region is not required for this activity and folding of the core DsbA-like domain. Furthermore, we found that CdDsbA could reduce CueP from C. diphtheriae.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.30.1-30.13
• /
• 2023

Ephs belong to the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinase and are highly conserved both sequentially and structurally. The structural organization of Eph is similar to other receptor tyrosine kinases; constituting the extracellular ligand binding domain, a fibronectin domain followed by intracellular juxtamembrane kinase, and SAM domain. Eph binds to respective ephrin ligand, through the ligand binding domain and forms a tetrameric complex to activate the kinase domain. Eph-ephrin regulates many downstream pathways that lead to physiological events such as cell migration, proliferation, and growth. Therefore, considering the importance of Eph-ephrin class of protein in tumorigenesis, 7,620 clinically reported missense mutations belonging to the class of variables of unknown significance were retrieved from cBioPortal and evaluated for pathogenicity. Thirty-two mutations predicted to be pathogenic using SIFT, Polyphen-2, PROVEAN, SNPs&GO, PMut, iSTABLE, and PremPS in-silico tools were found located either in critical functional regions or encompassing interactions at the binding interface of Eph-ephrin. However, seven were reported in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Considering the relevance of receptor tyrosine kinases and Eph in NSCLC, these seven mutations were assessed for change in the folding pattern using molecular dynamic simulation. Structural alterations, stability, flexibility, compactness, and solvent-exposed area was observed in EphA3 Trp790Cys, EphA7 Leu749Phe, EphB1 Gly685Cys, EphB4 Val748Ala, and Ephrin A2 Trp112Cys. Hence, it can be concluded that the evaluated mutations have potential to alter the folding pattern and thus can be further validated by in-vitro, structural and in-vivo studies for clinical management.