• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.559-565
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• 2001

Protein carboxyl O-methyltransferase (E.C.2.1.1.24) may play a role in the repair of aged protein that is spontaneously incorporated with isoaspartyl residues. The porcine brain carboxyl O-methyltransferase was cloned in the pET32 vector, and overexpressed in E.coh (BL21) that harbors pETPCMT, which encodes 227 amino acids, including tagging proteins at the N-terminus. The protein sequence of the cloned porcine brain PCMT (r-pbPCMT) shares a 98% identity with that of human erythrocyte PCMT and rat brain PCMT. It is 100% identical with that of bovine brain. The r-pbPCMT was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and digested by enterokinase in order to remove the protein tags. Then Superdex 75HR gel filtration chromatography was performed. The r-pbPCMT exhibited similar in vitro substrate specificities with the PCMT that was purified from porcine brain. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 24.5 kDa on the SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The $K_m$ value was $1.1{\times}10^{-7}\;M$ for S-adenosyl-L-methionine. S-adnosyl-L-homocysteine was a competitive type of inhibitor with the $K_i$ value of $1.38{\times}10^{-4}\;M$. The enzyme has optimal activity at pH 6.0 and $37^{\circ}C$. These results indicate that the expressed enzyme is functionally similar to the natural protein. It also suggests that it may be a suitable model to further understand the function of the mammalian enzyme.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.617-624
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• 2007

Protein arginine methylation is a posttranslational modification involved in various cellular functions including cell signaling, protein subcellular localization and transcriptional regulation. We analyze the protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) that catalyze the formation of methylarginines in porcine brain. We fractionated the brain extracts and determined the PRMT activities as well as the distribution of different PRMT proteins in subcellular fractions of porcine brain. The majority of the type I methyltransferase activities that catalyze the formation of asymmetric dimethylarginines was in the cytosolic S3 fraction. High specific activity of the methyltransferase was detected in the S4 fraction (high-salt stripping of the ultracentrifugation precipitant P3 fraction), indicating that part of the PRMT was peripherally associated with membrane and ribosomal fractions. The amount and distribution of PRMT1 are consistent with the catalytic activity. The elution patterns from gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography also indicate that the type I activity in S3 and S4 are mostly from PRMT1. Our results suggest that part of the type I arginine methyltransferases in brains, mainly PRMT1, are sequestered in an inactive form as they associated with membranes or large subcellular complexes. Our biochemical analyses confirmed the complex distribution of different PRMTs and implicate their regulation and catalytic activities in brain.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 1999

Protein carboxyl O-methyltransferase (PCMT) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from Sadenosyl-L-methionine to free carboxyl groups of methyl-accepting substrate proteins. Two isozymes were separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography from porcine brain cytosol and designated PCMT I and II. Isozymes I and II were further purified by adenosyl homocysteine-Sepharose 4B and Superose HR 12 chromatography. The molecular weights of the purified PCMT I and II were determined by mass spectrometry to be 20,138 Da and 25,574 Da, respectively. The two enzymes displayed different isoelectric points; 7.9 for PCMT I and 5.3 for PCMT II. Isozymes I and II exhibited similar substrate specificities when tested with various methyl-accepting proteins. Myelin basic protein, a component of myelinated neurons, was found to be an excellent methyl-accepting substrate for both PCMT isozymes with different $K_m$ values, $21.1\;{\mu}M$ for PCMT I and $10.6\;{\mu}M$ for PCMT II. The PCMT activity and methyl-accepting capacity displayed similar distribution in the various brain regions with an exception of the lower values in the cerebellum. The overall distribution may relate to a general function of protein repair by PCMT in the brain.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.1497-1504
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• 2001

There is emerging interest in using xenotransplantation of porcine cells, tissues and organs for treatment of human illness. This article reviews the current status of xenotransplantation, with particular emphasis on the physiological and immunological barriers to xenotransplantation and genetic manipulations to overcome xenograft rejection. Preliminary success in xenotransplantation therapy for human Parkinson's disease using porcine foetal brain cells is described. Finally the zoonotic dangers of porcine xenotransplantation, most particularly porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs), are discussed.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2016

Although many diseases could be treated by the development of modern medicine, there are some incurable diseases including brain cancer, Alzheimer disease, etc. To study human brain cancer, various animal models were reported. Among these animal models, mouse models are valuable tools for understanding brain cancer characteristics. In spite of many mouse brain cancer models, it has been difficult to find a new target molecule for the treatment of brain cancer. One of the reasons is absence of large animal model which makes conducting preclinical trials. In this article, we review a recent study of molecular characteristics of human brain cancer, their genetic mutation and comparative analysis of the mouse brain cancer model. Finally, we suggest the need for development of large animal models using somatic cell nuclear transfer in translational research.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.294-298
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• 1999

Myo-inositol monophosphate phosphatase is a key enzyme in the phosphoinositide cell-signaling system. Incubation of myo-inositol monophosphate phosphatase from porcine brain with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) resulted in a time-dependent loss of enzyme activity. The inactivation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with the second-order rate constant of $3.8{\times}10^3\;M^{-1}min^{-1}$. The time course of the reaction was significantly affected by the substrate myo-inositol-1-phosphate, which afforded complete protection against the loss of catalytic activity. Spectrophotometric studies indicated that about one oxindole group per molecule of enzyme was formed following complete loss of enzymatic activity. It is suggested that the catalytic function of myo-inositol monophosphate phosphatase is modulated by the binding of NBS to a specific tryptophan residue at or near the substrate binding site of the enzyme.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1170-1178
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• 2011

In the present study, the approach of high accuracy mass measurements for phospholipid identifications was evaluated using a 7 T ESI-FTMS/linear ion trap MS/MS. Experiments were carried out for porcine brain, bovine liver, and soybean total lipid extracts in both positive and negative ion modes. In total, 59, 55, and 18 phospholipid species were characterized in the positive ion mode for porcine brain, bovine liver, and soybean lipid extracts, respectively. Assigned lipid classes were PC, PE, PEt, PS, and SM. In the negative ion mode, PG, PS, PA, PE, and PI classes were observed. In the negative ion mode, for porcine brain, bovine liver, and soybean lipid extracts, 28, 34, and 29 species were characterized, respectively. Comparison of our results with those obtained by other groups using derivatization-LC-APCI MS and nano-RP-LC-MS/MS showed that our approach can characterize PC species as effectively as those methods could. In conclusion, we demonstrated that high accuracy mass measurements of total lipid extracts using a high resolution FTMS, particularly, 7T FTMS, plus ion-trap MS/MS are very useful in profiling lipid compositions in biological samples.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.367-371
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• 2001

Multiplex PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect and differentiate between porcine circovirus (PCV) type-I and the PCV associated with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Unique DNA product to PCV type-II was confirmed the some organs including lymph nodes, tonsil and spleen from eight pigs in Jeju by multiplex PCR. In this study, the samples were tested by a multiplex PCR assay to determine the type of PCV in each case; all cases were PCV type-II positive. PCV type-II was identified not only in typical PMWS cases, but also in field cases submitted with various clinical histories, some of which were not suggestive of PMWS. Immunohistochemically PCV type-II antigen was detected in macrophage-like cells in the tonsil, liver, lymph nodes and spleen, while some hepatocytes and renal tubular epithelial cells were also positive to the virus. This study suggested that PCV type-II is one of the causative agents of PMWS as well as the major type of PCV in the affected pigs in Jeju.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.339-347
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• 1997

A cytopathogenic virus was isolated from the brain tissues of pig showing ataxia. The biophysical, morphological and serological assay showed that the isolate belongs to a coronavirus. The differential identification of the isolate with monoclonal antibodies against A and X sites of transmissible gastroenteritis virus indicated that the virus has a characteristics of porcine respiratory coronavirus. The RT-PCR on nucleocapsid region of TGEV also showed that the isolate has the same conserved sequence. The diverse pathogenesis of PRCV and its implication in field were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.223-226
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• 1987

Serological classification was carried out on 10 samples of PEV isolated from the feces, the milk and the brain of the diseased pigs in Korea by CFT using type specific antisera of PEV. Ten samples of PEV were classified into 2 serotypes which were serotype 3 and 8. PEV from the feces belonged to serotype 8 and those from the milk and the brain to serotype 3. The cross reaction of serotype 3 occurred especially with serotype 1. Talfan virus. It can be said that at least 2 serotypes of PEV have existed in Korea.