• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2004

The discovery of biochemical and cellular functions of unannotated gene products begins with a database search of proteins with structure/sequence homologues based on known genes. Very recently, a number of frontier groups in structural biology proposed a new paradigm to predict biological functions of an unknown protein on the basis of its three-dimensional structure on a genomic scale. Structural proteomics (genomics), a research area for structure-based functional discovery, aims to complete the protein-folding universe of all gene products in a cell. It would lead us to a complete understanding of a living organism from protein structure. Two major complementary experimental techniques, X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy, combined with recently developed high throughput methods have played a central role in structural proteomics research; however, an integration of these methodologies together with comparative modeling and electron microscopy would speed up the goal for completing a full dictionary of protein folding space in the near future.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.627-634
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• 2009

Recently, the general contour Monte Carlo has been proposed by Liang (2004) as a space annealing version(ACMC) for optimization problems. The algorithm can be applied successfully to determine the ground configurations for the prediction of protein folding. In this approach, we use the distances between the consecutive $C_{\alpha}$ atoms along the peptide chain and the mapping sequences between the 20-letter amino acids and a coarse-grained three-letter code. The algorithm was tested on the real proteins. The comparison showed that the algorithm made a significant improvement over the simulated annealing(SA) and the Metropolis Monte Carlo method in determining the ground configurations.

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

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

An efficient sampling method of computer simulation is reviewed. Using the method, several thermodynamic states can be investigated at a time in a single simulation. It is due to the ability of the method to explore the relevant parts of configuration space equally for every state being investigated. The method can be used in simulations of complex systems such as biopolymers which are still greatly hampered by the multi-minima problem. In this article I present a brief theoretical review of the method and illustrate how to realize it in the simulations.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.274-278
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• 1993

Overproduced proteins in many cases result in forming insoluble inclusion bodies, and their formation might be due to high concentration of protein. To investigate how proteins become insoluble, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and .betha.-lactamase were overproduced, and their solubilities and activities were determined. CAT was accumulated from 9 to 45% of total cellular protein in a fully soluble form without inclusion body formation. CAT specific activity was shown to be proportional to the amount of the protein produced. Moderately produced .betha.-lactamase by the phase T7 expression system at 30.deg.C comprised only mature forms in a soluble form. However, overproduced .betha.-lactamase at 37.deg.C became insoluble. Most precursor forms of .betha.-lactamase in the cytoplasm were insoluble, whereas majority of the mature forms in the periplasm space were soluble. Also, chaperone GroE proteins which assist proper protein folding and translocation did not increase .betha.-lactamase solubility significantly under the experimental condition. It seems that the formation of inclusion bodies in the cell is related to the nature of protein itself rather than just to high concentration of protein.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2005

The peptidyl transferase center (PTC) is located in a protein free environment, thus confirming that the ribosome is a ribozyme. This arched void has dimensions suitable for accommodating the 3'ends of the A-and the P-site tRNAs, and is situated within a universal sizable symmetry-related region that connects all ribosomal functional centers involved in amino-acid polymerization. The linkage between the elaborate PTC architecture and the A-site tRNA position revealed that the A-to P-site passage of the tRNA 3'end is performed by a rotatory motion, which leads to stereochemistry suitable for peptide bond formation and for substrate mediated catalysis, thus suggesting that the PTC evolved by genefusion. Adjacent to the PTC is the entrance of the protein exit tunnel, shown to play active roles in sequence-specific gating of nascent chains and in responding to cellular signals. This tunnel also provides a site that may be exploited for local co-translational folding and seems to assist in nascent chain trafficking into the hydrophobic space formed by the first bacterial chaperone, the trigger factor. Many antibiotics target ribosomes. Although the ribosome is highly conserved, subtle sequence and/or conformational variations enable drug selectivity, thus facilitating clinical usage. Comparisons of high-resolution structures of complexes of antibiotics bound to ribosomes from eubacteria resembling pathogens, to an archaeon that shares properties with eukaryotes and to its mutant that allows antibiotics binding, demonstrated the unambiguous difference between mere binding and therapeutical effectiveness. The observed variability in antibiotics inhibitory modes, accompanied by the elucidation of the structural basis to antibiotics mechanism justifies expectations for structural based improved properties of existing compounds as well as for the development of novel drugs.