• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• 제1권3호
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• pp.209-215
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• 2005

Recently, a large number of clinical experiments have shown that exposure of organic pollutants lead to various cancers through the abnormal cell growth. Environmental pollutants, such as 2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are carcinogen and are known to cause the cognitive disability and motor dysfunction in the developing of brain. The effects of these pollutants on neurodevelopmental disorder is well established, but the underlying mechanism(s) and similarity of gene expression profiles in human brain tumors with organic pollutants still remain unclear. In this study, we first examined the gene expression profiles in glioblastomas compared with meningioma that are kinds of primary human brain tumor by using human cDNA microarray. The results of cDNA microarray analysis revealed that 26 genes were upregulated (Z-ratio>2.0) and 14 genes were downregulated (Z-ratio<-2.0) in glioblastoma compared with meningioma. From the altered gene patterns, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling related genes, such as MAP2K3, MAP3K11 and jun activated domain binding protein, and transcription factors, such as UTF2 and TF12, were upregulated in glioblastoma. Also, we tried to investigate the relation between important genes up- and down-regulated in giloblastoma and various organic pollutants. Therefore, the identification of changes in the patterns of gene expression may provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in human primary brain tumors and of the relation between gene expression profiles and organic pollutants in brain tissue.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.178-184
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• 2019

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra pars compacta. In the present study, we investigated whether ${\beta}-Lapachone$ (${\beta}-LAP$), a natural naphthoquinone compound isolated from the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae), elicits neuroprotective effects in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease mouse model. ${\beta}-LAP$ reduced the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive fiber loss induced by MPTP in the dorsolateral striatum, and alleviated motor dysfunction as determined by the rotarod test. In addition, ${\beta}-LAP$ protected against MPTP-induced loss of TH positive neurons, and upregulated B-cell lymphoma 2 protein (Bcl-2) expression in the substantia nigra. Based on previous reports on the neuroprotective role of nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) in neurodegenerative diseases, we investigated whether ${\beta}-LAP$ induces upregulation of the Nrf2-hemeoxygenae-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway molecules in MPTP-injected mouse brains. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses indicated that ${\beta}-LAP$ increased HO-1 expression in glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes. Moreover, ${\beta}-LAP$ increased the nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of Nrf2, and the phosphorylation of upstream adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). ${\beta}-LAP$ also increased the localization of p-AMPK and Nrf2 in astrocytes. Collectively, our data suggest that ${\beta}-LAP$ exerts neuroprotective effect in MPTP-injected mice by upregulating the p-AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways in astrocytes.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제23권8호
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• pp.978-983
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• 2013

Kinesin-II는 다양한 운반체들을 미세소관을 따라 운반하는 motor 단백질의 하나이다. Kinesin-II는 두 개의 motor 단백질 KIF3A와 KIF3B, 그리고 motor 단백질의 말단에 결합하는 kinesin superfamily-associated protein 3 (KAP3)로 구성되어 있다. KAP3는 Kinesin-II의 기능에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려져 있으나 명확한 기능은 아직 밝혀지지 않았다. 본 연구에서 KAP3와 결합하는 단백질을 분리하기 위하여 효모 two-hybrid system을 사용하여 탐색한 결과 HS-1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1)을 분리하였다. KAP3은 HAX-1의 C-말단 부위와 결합하며, HAX-1은 KAP3의 C-말단부위와 결합함을 효모 two-hybrid assay로 확인하였다. 그러나, HAX-1는 KIF3A, KIF3B, KIF5B, 그리고 kinesin light chain (KLC)과는 결합하지 않았다. KAP3와 HAX-1의 단백질 결합은 glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay와 공동면역침강으로 추가 확인하였다. 생쥐의 뇌 파쇄액을 HAX-1 항체와 KIF3A 항체로 면역침강을 행한 결과 Kinesin-II의 구성단백질인 KIF3B와 KAP3가 같이 침강하였다. 이러한 결과들은 KAP3가 Kinesin-II와 HAX-1의 결합을 매개한다는 것을 시사한다.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.122-133
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• 2009

고무는 천연 고무를 비롯하여 부타디엔 고무, 스티렌-부타디엔 고무, 니트릴-부타디엔 고무, EPDM, 염소화 고무 등 산업적 요구에 따라 발전하여 왔다. 광범위한 분야에서 고무가 사용됨에 따라 새로운 물성을 갖는 합성 고무나 개질 고무의 생산이 필요하게 되었다. 본 리뷰 논문에서는 이중 결합을 포함하는 고무의 화학적 개질을 통하여 고무의 구조를 변화시키거나, 관능기, 이종 고분자 등을 도입하는 몇 가지 방법들에 대하여 정리해 보고자 한다. 특히, 최근에 많은 응용이 시도되고 있는 리빙 라디칼 중합법에 의한 고무의 개질을 소개하고 이의 효과를 알아보고자 한다.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.8.1-8.7
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• 2012

The motor neuron degeneration 2 (mnd2) mice carry a point mutation of A to T nucleotide transversion at the serine 276 residue of high temperature requirement A2 (HtrA2), resulting in losses of an AluI restriction enzyme site (5'AGCT3') and the HtrA2 serine protease activity. Moreover, dysfunctions of HtrA2 are known to be intimately associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. Thus, this mnd2 mouse is an invaluable model for understanding the physiological role of HtrA2 and its pathological role in neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, many molecular and cellular biologists in this field have limited experience in working with mutant mouse models due to the necessity of acquired years of the special techniques and knowledges. Herein, using the mnd2 mouse model as an example, we describe easy-to-use standard protocols for web-based analyses of target genes, such as HtrA2, and a novel approach for simple and accurate PCR-AluI-RFLP-based genotype analysis of mnd2 mice. In addition, band resolution of AluI-RFLP fragments was improved in 12% polyacrylamide gel running in 1X Tris-Glycine SDS buffer. Our study indicates that this PCR-AluI-RFLP genotype analysis method can be easily applied by the molecular and cellular biologist to conduct biomedical science studies using the other mutant mouse models.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.6.1-6.12
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• 2012

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complicated neurodegenerative disorder although it is oftentimes defined by clinical motor symptoms originated from age dependent and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. The pathogenesis of PD involves dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons in many brain regions and the molecular mechanisms underlying the death of different cell types still remain to be elucidated. There are indications that PD causing disease processes occur in a global scale ranging from DNA to RNA, and proteins. Several PD-associated genes have been reported to play diverse roles in controlling cellular functions in different levels, such as chromatin structure, transcription, processing of mRNA, translational modulation, and posttranslational modification of proteins. The advent of quantitative high throughput screening (HTS) tools makes it possible to monitor systemic changes in DNA, RNA and proteins in PD models. Combined with dopamine neuron isolation or derivation of dopamine neurons from PD patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells (PD iPSCs), HTS techonologies will provide opportunities to draw PD causing sequences of molecular events in pathologically relevant PD samples. Here I discuss previous studies that identified molecular functions in which PD genes are involved, especially those signaling pathways that can be efficiently studied using HTS methodologies. Brief descriptions of quantitative and systemic tools looking at DNA, RNA and proteins will be followed. Finally, I will emphasize the use and potential benefits of PD iPSCs-derived dopaminergic neurons to screen signaling pathways that are initiated by PD linked gene mutations and thus causative for dopaminergic neurodegneration in PD.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• 제6권6호
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• pp.665-670
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• 2005

Nanocomposites of polypropylene with organically modified clays were compounded on a twin-screw extruder by two-step melt compounding of three components, i.e., polypropylene, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA), and organically modified clay. The effect of PP-g-MA compatibilizers, including PH-200, Epolene-43, Polybond-3002, Polybond-3200, with a wide range of maleic anhydride (MA) content and molecular weight was examined. Morphologies of nanocomposites and their mechanical properties such as stiffness, strength, and impact resistance were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the dispersion morphology of clay particles seemed to be determined in the first compounding step and the further dispersion of clays didn't occur in the second compounding step. As the ratio of PP-g-MA to clay increased, the clay particles were dispersed more uniformly in the matrix resin. As the dispersibility of clays was enhanced, the reinforcement effect of the clays increased, however impact resistance decreased.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.231-242
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• 2022

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ), which is a synapse for signal transmission from motor neurons to muscle cells, has emerged as an important region because of its association with several peripheral neuropathies. In particular, mutations in GARS that affect the formation of NMJ result in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and distal hereditary motor neuropathy. These disorders are mainly considered to be caused by neuronal axon abnormalities; however, no treatment is currently available. Therefore, in order to determine whether the NMJ could be targeted to treat neurodegenerative disorders, we investigated the NMJ recovery effect of HDAC6 inhibitors, which have been used in the treatment of several peripheral neuropathies. In the present study, we demonstrated that HDAC6 inhibition was sufficient to enhance movement by restoring NMJ impairments observed in a zebrafish disease model. We found that CKD-504, a novel HDAC6 inhibitor, was effective in repairing NMJ defects, suggesting that treatment of neurodegenerative diseases via NMJ targeting is possible.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.723-730
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• 2007

Kinesin is an ATP-driven microtubule motor protein that plays important roles in control of microtubule dynamics, intracellular transport, cell division and signal transduction. The kinesin superfamily is composed of numerous members that are classified into 14 subfamilies. Animal kinesins have been well characterized. In contrast, plant kinesins have not yet to be characterized adequately. Here, a novel plant-specific kinesin gene, GhKCH2, has been cloned from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fibers and biochemically identified by prokaryotic expression, affinity purification, ATPase activity assay and microtubule-binding analysis. The putative motor domain of GhKCH2, $M_{396-734}$ corresponding to amino acids Q396-N734 was fused with 6$\times$His-tag, soluble-expressed in E. coli and affinity-purified in a large amount. The biochemical analysis demonstrated that the basal ATPase activity of $M_{396-734}$ is not activated by $Ca^{2+}$, but stimulated 30-fold max by microtubules. The enzymatic activation is microtubule-concentration-dependent, and the concentration of microtubules that corresponds to half-maximum activation was about 11 ${\mu}M$, much higher than that of other kinesins reported. The cosedimentation assay indicated that $M_{396-734}$ could bind to microtubules in vitro whenever the nucleotide AMP-PNP is present or absent. As a plant-specific microtubule-dependent kinesin with a lower microtubule-affinity and a nucleotide-independent microtubule-binding ability, cotton GhKCH2 might be involved in the function of microtubules during the deposition of cellulose microfibrils in fibers or the formation of cell wall.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제20권8호
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• pp.1166-1172
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• 2010

Kinesin-I은 4분자의 단백질로 구성되어 있으며, N-말단의 motor 영역과 C-말단영역을 가지는 장쇄(KHC, 또한 KIF5s로도 통용) 2분자와 KIF5s (KIF5A, KIF5B와 KIF5C)의 줄기영역과 결합하는 단쇄(KLC) 2분자로 구성되어 있다. KIF5A의 결합 단백질을 동정하기 위하여 효모 two-hybrid system을 사용하여 특이적으로 결합하는 heterotrimeric G 단백질의 ${\beta}$ 단위체 단백질($G{\beta}$)을 분리하였다. $G{\beta}$은 KIF5A의 808에서 935아미노산 부위와 결합하며, 다른 KIF5들과도 결합함을 효모 two-hybrid assay로 확인하였다. 또한 $G{\beta}$의 WD40 반복 서열은 KIF5A와의 결합에 필수영역임을 확인하였으며, 이러한 단백질간의 결합은 Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay를 통하여 확인하였다. 생쥐의 뇌 파쇄액에 KIF5들의 항체로 면역침강을 행하여 heterotrimeric G 단백질을 확인한 결과, KIF5들은 heterotrimeric G 단백질과 특이적으로 같이 침강하였다. 이러한 결과들은 kinesin-I는 heterotrimeric G 단백질이 포함된 소포를 미세소관을 따라 이동시킴을 시사한다.