• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.41.1-41.16
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• 2022

The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 has chemotactic and modulatory activities in various immune cells, including dendritic cells. Because of its characteristics, LL-37 can be considered an adjuvant for vaccine development. In this study, we confirmed the possible adjuvant activity of LL-37 in mucosal vaccine development against Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) by means of intranasal immunization in C57BL/6 and human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (hDPP4)-transgenic (hDPP4-Tg) mice. Intranasal immunization using the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV spike protein (S-RBD) recombined with LL-37 (S-RBD-LL-37) induced an efficient mucosal IgA and systemic IgG response with virus-neutralizing activity, compared with S-RBD. Ag-specific CTL stimulation was also efficiently induced in the lungs of mice that had been intranasally immunized with S-RBD-LL-37, compared with S-RBD. Importantly, intranasal immunization of hDPP4-Tg mice with S-RBD-LL-37 led to reduced immune cell infiltration into the lungs after infection with MERS-CoV. Finally, intranasal immunization of hDPP4-Tg mice with S-RBD-LL-37 led to enhanced protective efficacy, with increased survival and reduced body weight loss after challenge infection with MERS-CoV. Collectively, these results suggest that S-RBD-LL-37 is an effective intranasal vaccine candidate molecule against MERS-CoV infection.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.100004.1-100004.11
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• 2024

Insulin is essential for maintaining normoglycemia and is predominantly secreted in response to glucose stimulation by β-cells. Incretin hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, also stimulate insulin secretion. However, as obesity and type 2 diabetes worsen, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide loses its insulinotropic efficacy, whereas GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists continue to be effective owing to its signaling switch from Gs to Gq. Herein, we demonstrated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced a transition from Gs to Gq in GLP-1R signaling in mouse islets. Intriguingly, chemical chaperones known to alleviate ER stress, such as 4-PBA and TUDCA, enforced GLP-1R's Gq utilization rather than reversing GLP-1R's signaling switch induced by ER stress or obese and diabetic conditions. In addition, the activation of X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) or activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), 2 key ER stress-associated signaling (unfolded protein response) factors, promoted Gs utilization in GLP-1R signaling, whereas Gq employment by ER stress was unaffected by XBP1 or ATF6 activation. Our study revealed that ER stress and its associated signaling events alter GLP-1R's signaling, which can be used in type 2 diabetes treatment.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.175-180
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• 2010

Albumin-modification has been viewed as one of the most effective ways of extending the short in vivo lifetimes of peptide drugs by delaying glomerular filtration. In this study, we describe a new type 2 anti-diabetic exendin-4 (Ex4) peptide derivative with significant binding ability to human serum albumin (HSA). This exendin-4 derivative consists of a 4-branched polyethylene glycol $(PEG)_{5k}$ (Mw: 20 kDa) modified with three stearylamines ($C_{18}-NH_2$) and one exendin-4 on its branches. PEG and stearylamine were selected to provide functionality to increase molecular size and bind to albumin, respectively. This derivative ($3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4) was shown to have larger molecular size (Ca. 152 kDa) than actual (25.0 kDa) when subjected to size-exclusion chromatography, and the fluorescein-tagged $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 displayed significant binding to the HSA-immobilized Sepharose CL-4B resin using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Furthermore, $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 was found to have acceptable anti-hyperglycemic efficacy via three consecutive oral glucose tolerance testings (OGTT) in fasted type 2 diabetic db/db mice. The $HD_{total}$ value ($57.6{\pm}12.3%$) of $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 at a 50 nmol/kg dose was 2-fold greater than that ($31.0{\pm}8.7%$) of native exendin-4 in non-fasted db/db mice. Especially, the blood glucose levels in the mice group treated with $3C_{18}-4PEG_{5k}$-Ex4 did not rebound to ~150 mg/dL until 24 h after the injection, which obviously shows the extended hypoglycemia. We believe that this derivative has great pharmaceutical potential as a novel long-acting type 2 anti-diabetic injection treatment.

• 한국작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국작물학회 2004년도 춘계 학술대회지
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• pp.12-27
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• 2004

Thanks to spectacular advances in the techniques for identifying proteins separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and in methods for large-scale analysis of proteome variations, proteomics is becoming an essential methodology in various fields of plant sciences. Plant proteomics would be most useful when combined with other functional genomics tools and approaches. A combination of microarray and proteomics analysis will indicate whether gene regulation is controlled at the level of transcription or translation and protein accumulation. In this review, we described the catalogues of the rice proteome which were constructed in our program, and functional characterization of some of these proteins was discussed. Mass-spectrometry is a most prevalent technique to identify rapidly a large of proteins in proteome analysis. However, the conventional Western blotting/sequencing technique us still used in many laboratories. As a first step to efficiently construct protein data-file in proteome analysis of major cereals, we have analyzed the N-terminal sequences of 100 rice embryo proteins and 70 wheat spike proteins separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Edman degradation revealed the N-terminal peptide sequences of only 31 rice proteins and 47 wheat proteins, suggesting that the rest of separated protein spots are N-terminally blocked. To efficiently determine the internal sequence of blocked proteins, we have developed a modified Cleveland peptide mapping method. Using this above method, the internal sequences of all blocked rice proteins (i. e., 69 proteins) were determined. Among these 100 rice proteins, thirty were proteins for which homologous sequence in the rice genome database could be identified. However, the rest of the proteins lacked homologous proteins. This appears to be consistent with the fact that about 30% of total rice cDNA have been deposited in the database. Also, the major proteins involved in the growth and development of rice can be identified using the proteome approach. Some of these proteins, including a calcium-binding protein that fumed out to be calreticulin, gibberellin-binding protein, which is ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activate in rice, and leginsulin-binding protein in soybean have functions in the signal transduction pathway. Proteomics is well suited not only to determine interaction between pairs of proteins, but also to identify multisubunit complexes. Currently, a protein-protein interaction database for plant proteins (http://genome .c .kanazawa-u.ac.jp/Y2H)could be a very useful tool for the plant research community. Recently, we are separated proteins from grain filling and seed maturation in rice to perform ESI-Q-TOF/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS. This experiment shows a possibility to easily and rapidly identify a number of 2-DE separated proteins of rice by ESI-Q-TOF/MS and MALDI-TOF/MS. Therefore, the Information thus obtained from the plant proteome would be helpful in predicting the function of the unknown proteins and would be useful in the plant molecular breeding. Also, information from our study could provide a venue to plant breeder and molecular biologist to design their research strategies precisely.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.299-305
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• 2001

Activation of D1-like dopamine receptors by psychostimulants, such as amphetamine, upregulates the expression of immediate early gene and opioid peptide gene in the striatum. The genomic changes are regulated by phosphorylated transcription factors via complicated intracellular events. To evaluate temporal expression of the transcription factors by dopaminergic stimulation, the D1-like dopamine agonist, amphetamine or SKF82958, was systematically delivered. As intracellular markers in response to the agonist, phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB), Fos-related antigens (FRA) and FosB immunoreactivity (IR) was compared at 20 and 120 min time points in the selected areas of the striatum. Semi-quantitative immunocytochemistry showed that amphetamine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly increased pCREB-IR at 20 min, sustained up to 60 min and decreased at 120 min after the infusion. Like amphetamine, the full D1 agonist, SKF82958 (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.), also increased pCREB-IR at 20 min, but not at 120 min after the infusion in the dorsal striatum (caudoputaman, CPu) and shell of ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens, NAc). In contrast, FRA- and FosB-IR induced by SKF82958 was significantly increased at 120 min, but not at 20 min after the administration. These data indicate that SKF82958 mimics induction of CREB phosphorylation by amphetamine and differentially regulates temporal induction of pCREB, and FRA and FosB expression in the striatum.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.131-138
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• 2002

The cyclophilins (Cyps) are family members of proteins that exhibit peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase, EC 5.2.1.8) activity and bind the immunosuppressive agent cyclosprin A (CsA) in varying degrees. During the process of random sequencing of a cDNA library made from Giardia intestinalis WB strain, the cyclophilin gene (gicypl) was isolated. An open reading frame of gicyp1 gene was 576 nucleotides, which corresponded to a translation product of 176 amino acids (Gicypl). The identity with other Cyps was about 58-71%. The 13 residues that constituted the CsA binding site of human cyclophilin were also detected in the amino acid sequence of Gicypl, including tryptophan residue essential for the drug binding. The single copy of the gicypl gene was detected in the G. intestinalis chromosome by southern hybridization analysis. Recombinant Gicyp 1 protein clearly accelerated the rate of cis ${\rightarrow}$ trans isomerization of the peptide substrate and the catalysis was completely inhibited by the addition of $0.5{\;}{\mu}M$ CsA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.637-647
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• 2016

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a critical eukaryotic replication accessory factor that supports DNA binding in DNA processing, such as DNA replication, repair, and recombination. PCNA consists of three toroidal-shaped monomers that encircle double-stranded DNA. The diverse functions of PCNA may be regulated by its interactions with partner proteins. Many of the PCNA partner proteins generally have a conserved PCNA-interacting peptide (PIP) motif, located at the N- or C- terminal region. The PIP motif forms a 3₁₀ helix that enters into the hydrophobic groove produced by an interdomain-connecting loop, a central loop, and a C-terminal tail in the PCNA. Post-translational modification of PCNA also plays a critical role in regulation of its function and binding partner proteins. Structural and biochemical studies of PCNA-protein will be useful in designing therapeutic agents, as well as estimating the outcome of anticancer drug development. This review summarizes the characterization of eukaryotic PCNA in relation to the protein structures, functions, and modifications, and interaction with proteins.

• 한국고분자학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국고분자학회 2006년도 IUPAC International Symposium on Advanced Polymers for Emerging Technologies
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• pp.265-265
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• 2006

Multivalent interactions, which are characterized by the simultaneous binding of multiple ligands on multiple receptors, are prevalent in biological system. We have shown that it is able to make a supramolecular aggregate coated with multiple functional molecules fairly easily by simply mixing one building block. In this particular example, a mannose-coated object was able to agglutinate bacterial cells with cognate binding partners through multivalent interactions. This kind of strategy can be applied in developing materials that can selectively remove pathogens. Supramolecular assembly of this type should be very useful in exploring multivalent biological interactions.

• BMB Reports
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.58-62
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• 1996

The structural changes in the electron donor side of the PSII reaction center have been monitored since heat treatment ($45^{\circ}C$ for 5 min) of thylakoids is known to decrease the oxygen evolving activity. In heat-treated spinach chloroplast thylakoids, the inhibitory effect of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) on the electron transport activity of the PSII reaction center from diphenyl carbazide to dichlorophenolindophenol became reduced approximately 3.8 times and [$^{14}C$]-labeled DCMU binding on the D1 polypeptide decreased to 25~30% that of intact thylakoid membranes, implying that the conformational changes of the DCMU binding pocket, residing on the D1 polypeptide, occur by heat treatment. The accessibility of trypsin to the $NH_2$-terminus of the cytochrome b-559 ${\alpha}$-subunit, assayed with Western blot using an antibody generated against the synthetic peptide (Arg-68 to Arg-80) of the COOH-terminal domain, was also increased, indicating that heat-treatment caused changes in the structural environments near the stromal side of the cytochrome b-559 ${\alpha}$-subunit, allowing trypsin more easily to cleave the $NH_2$-terminal domain. Therefore, the structural changes in the electron donor side of the PSII reaction center complexes could be one of the reasons why the oxygen evolving activity of the heat-treated thylakoid membranes decreased.

• 융합정보논문지
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.209-216
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• 2020

단백질 항원에 존재하는 에피토프는 에피토프를 기반으로 한 백신 개발의 표적이 되고 있다. 인간의 주조 직적합 복합체 (MHC-1)에 결합하는 펩타이드를 확인할 수 있는 여러 서버들이 보고되고 있으나 인간의 MHC-I 분자의 수가 매우 많고 각 서버 검색 방법의 표준화 부재 등의 문제로 인해 펩타이드 예측에 적절한 서버를 선정하는 것이 쉽지 않다. 본 논문에서는 MHC-I 결합 펩타이드를 예측하는 서버 30 종을 비교하였으며, 다발성 골수종에 적용하기 위해 survivin 단백질로부터 사람의 HLA-A2 제한 펩타이드를 예측하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 MHC-I 결합 예측의 표준화된 방법을 제시하고 펩타이드 에피토프를 예측하는데 도움을 줄 것이다.