• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.102-106
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• 2011

Thermodynamic stability and refolding kinetics of firefly luciferase and three representative mutants with depletion of negative charge on a flexible loop via substitution of Glu by Arg (ER mutant) or Lys (EK mutant) as well as insertion of another Arg in ER mutants (ERR mutant) was investigated. According to thermodynamic studies, structural stability of ERR and ER mutants are enhanced compared to WT protein, whereas, these mutants become prone to aggregation at higher temperatures. Accordingly, it was concluded that enhanced structural stability of mutants depends on more compactness of folded state, whereas aggregation at higher temperatures in mutants is due to weakening of intermolecular repulsive electrostatic interactions and increase of intermolecular hydrophobic interactions. Kinetic results indicate that early events of protein folding are accelerated in mutants.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.335-338
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• 2006

Methylglyoxal (MG) is an endogenous physiological metabolite which is present in increased concentrations in diabetics. MG reacts with the amino acids of proteins to form advanced glycation end products. In this in vitro study, we investigated the effect of MG on the structure and function of ceruloplasmin (CP) a serum oxidase carrier of copper ions in the human. When CP was incubated with MG, the protein showed increased electrophoretic mobility which represented the aggregates at a high concentration of MG (100 mM). MG-mediated CP aggregation led to the loss of enzymatic activity and the release of copper ions from the protein. Radical scavengers and copper ion chelators significantly prevented CP aggregation. CP is an important protein that circulates in plasma as a major copper transport protein. It is suggested that oxidative damage of CP by MG may induce perturbations of the copper transport system and subsequently lead to harmful intracellular condition. The proposed mechanism, in part, may provide an explanation for the deterioration of organs in the diabetic patient.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.241-249
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• 2003

A molecular-thermodynamic model to describe the salt-induced protein precipitation is developed based on the perturbation theory. We employed the modified perturbed hard-sphere-chain (PHSC) equation of state for copolymer mixtures to take into account the pre-aggregation effect among protein particles. Hypothetical pressure-composition diagrams are computed with various size differences and salt concentrations. The precipitation behaviors are also studied for various types of pre-aggregation effect for the given systems.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2022

High-pressure (HP) NMR is a versatile tool to investigate diverse features of proteins. This technique has been particularly powerful to elucidate structural dynamics that only populates sufficiently in a pressurized condition. Amyloidogenic proteins, which are prone to aggregate and form amyloid fibrils, often maintains highly dynamic states in its native or aggregation-prone states, and HP NMR contributed much to advance our understandings of the dynamic behaviors of amyloidogenic proteins and the molecular mechanisms of their aggregation. In this mini review, we therefore summarize recent HP NMR studies on amyloid-beta (Aβ), the representative amyloidogenic intrinsically disordered protein (IDP).

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.170-175
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• 2010

Chaperone;Glutathione peroxidase;Peroxiredoxin;Schizosaccharomyces pombe;Thioredoxin peroxidase;To investigate the differences in the functional roles of peroxiredoxins (Prxs) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we examined the peroxidase and molecular chaperone properties of the recombinant proteins. TPx (thioredoxin peroxidase) exhibited a capacity for peroxide reduction with the thioredoxin system. GPx also showed thioreoxin-dependent peroxidase activity rather than GPx activity. The peroxidase activity of BCP (bacterioferritin comigratory protein) was similar to that of TPx. However, peroxidase activity was not observed for PMP20 (peroxisomal membrane protein 20). TPx, PMP20, and GPx inhibited thermal aggregation of citrate synthase at 43$^{\circ}C$, but BCP failed to inhibit the aggregation. The chaperone activities of PMP20 and GPx were weaker than that of TPx. The peroxidase and chaperone properties of TPx, BCP, and GPx of the fission yeast are similar to those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The fission yeast PMP20 without thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase activity may act as a molecular chaperone.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.126-131
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• 2023

The abnormal accumulation and aggregation of the misfolded α-synuclein protein is the neuropathological hallmark of all α-synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease. The secreted proteins known as netrins (netrin-1, netrin-3, and netrin-4) are related to laminin and have a role in the molecular pathway for axon guidance and cell survival. Interestingly, only netrin-1 is significantly expressed in the substantia nigra (SN) of healthy adult brains and its expression inversely correlates with that of α-synuclein, which prompted us to look into the role of α-synuclein and netrin-1 molecular interaction in the future of dopaminergic neurons. Here, we showed that netrin-1 and α-synuclein directly interacted in pre-formed fibrils (PFFs) generation test, real time binding assay, and co-immunoprecipitation with neurotoxin treated cell lysates. Netrin-1 deficiency appeared to activate the dopaminergic neuronal cell death signal pathway via α-synuclein aggregation and hyperphosphorylation of α-synuclein S129. Taken together, netrin-1 can be a promising therapeutic molecule in Parkinson's disease.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.263-272
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• 2024

Amyloid-β (Aβ) is one of the amyloidogenic intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that self-assemble to protein aggregates, incurring cell malfunction and cytotoxicity. While Aβ has been known to regulate multiple physiological functions, such as enhancing synaptic functions, aiding in the recovery of the blood-brain barrier/brain injury, and exhibiting tumor suppression/antimicrobial activities, the hydrophobicity of the primary structure promotes pathological aggregations that are closely associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ proteins consist of multiple isoforms with 37-43 amino acid residues that are produced by the cleavage of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP). The hydrolytic products of APP are secreted to the extracellular regions of neuronal cells. Aβ 1-42 (Aβ42) and Aβ 1-40 (Aβ40) are dominant isoforms whose significance in AD pathogenesis has been highlighted in numerous studies to understand the molecular mechanism and develop AD diagnosis and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we focus on the differences between Aβ42 and Aβ40 in the molecular mechanism of amyloid aggregations mediated by the two additional residues (Ile41 and Ala42) of Aβ42. The current comprehension of Aβ42 and Aβ40 in AD progression is outlined, together with the structural features of Aβ42/Aβ40 amyloid fibrils, and the aggregation mechanisms of Aβ42/Aβ40. Furthermore, the impact of the heterogeneous distribution of Aβ isoforms during amyloid aggregations is discussed in the system mimicking the coexistence of Aβ42 and Aβ40 in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2003

Effects of the electric conductivity of particles were studied for the aggregation process of charged particles with a Brownian dynamic simulation in the free molecular regime. A periodic boundary condition was used for the calculation of the aggregation process in each cell with 500 primary particles of 16 nm in diameter. We considered two extreme cases, a perfect conductor and a perfect nonconductor. The electrostatic force on a particle in the simulation cell was considered as a sum of electrostatic forces from other particles in the original cell and its replicate cells. We assumed that aggregates were only charged with pre-charged primary particles. The morphological shape of aggregates was described in terms of the fractal dimension. The fractal dimension for the uncharged aggregate was D$_{f}$= 1.761. However, the fractal dimension decreased from 1.694 to 1.360 for the case of the perfect conductor, and from 1.610 to 1.476 for the case of the perfect nonconductor, with the increase of the average number of charges on the primary particle from 0.2 to 0.3. These values were smaller than that of the centered charge case.e.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2015

Our previous study demonstrated that yuzu has an anti-platelet effect in rat blood. In the present study, we examined whether the anti-platelet effect of yuzu can be extended to human blood by investigating its ability to inhibit aggregations induced by various agonists in human platelet rich plasma (PRP). This study also investigated the underlying mechanism of yuzu focusing on ADP granule secretion, $TXB_2$ formations, and $PLC{\gamma}$/Akt signaling. The results from this study showed that ethanolic yuzu extract (YE), and its components, hesperidin and naringin, inhibited human platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. YE, hesperidin and naringin also inhibited $TXB_2$ formation and ADP release. The phosphorylation of $PLC{\gamma}$ and Akt was significantly inhibited by YE, heperidin and naringin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that YE, heperidin and naringin has anti-platelet effects in rat ex vivo studies, and lower side effects in mice tail bleeding time studies. The results from this study suggest that YE, hesperidin and naringin can inhibit human platelet aggregation, at least partly through the inhibition of $PLC{\gamma}$ and Akt, leading to a decrease in $TXB_2$ formation and granule secretion.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.506-512
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• 1995

A cell aggregation factor produced by Aspergillus sp. LAM 94-142 was purified and partially characterized. The factor was purified about 15 folds from culture broth by IRA 420 and IRC 120 treatment, 1% NaCl added acetone precipitation, and Sepharose 4B column chromatography with overall yield of 48%. It was heteropolysaccharide consisted of mannose, arabinose, and glucose with a molar ratio, 31:17:2, and its molecular weight was estimated to be about 900,000 daltons by Sepharodse 4B gel filtration method. The optimum pH and temperature was 8 and 40$\circ$C, respectively. The factor was stable in pH range of 3-9 and at 100$\circ$C for 90 min. The cell aggregation activity of the factor was inhibited by the addition of Hg$^{2+}$, Fe$^{2+}$, Cu$^{2+}$, and some polypeptides such as milk casein or hemoglobin. The factor aggregated Bacillus subtilis, B. macerans, B. turingiensis, E. coli, Peudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens, P. malophilia, and weakly aggregated Staphylococcus sp., Sarcina lutea, P. putida and Cryptococcus neoformnans, but it didn't aggregate various strains of Candida sp. and Saccharomyces sp.