• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.435-439
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• 2013

As byproducts of chicken slaughtering, chicken feathers are produced and mostly discarded without proper treatment, which results in serious environment pollution. Therefore, the appropriate treatment and utilization of chicken feathers are needed. In particular, chicken feathers can be used as protein sources for the preparation of protein hydrolysates, considering that chicken feathers have a large amount of proteins. In this study, chicken feather protein hydrolysates were prepared and their iron-binding peptides were isolated. Chicken feather protein was extracted from feathers of slaughtered chicken, and its hydrolysates were prepared via hydrolysis with Flavourzyme for 8 h. Then the chicken feather protein hydrolysates were ultra-filtered to obtain small peptide fractions and fractionated using Q-Sepharose and Sephadex G-15 columns to isolate their iron-binding peptides. Two major fractions were produced from each of the Q-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography and the Sephadex G-15 gel filtration chromatography. Among the fractions, the peptide fraction with a high iron-binding activity level, F12, was isolated. These results suggest that chicken feather protein hydrolysates can be used as iron supplements.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2006.07c
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• pp.1629-1630
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• 2006

This paper describes a micro total analysis system ($\mu$ TAS) for detecting and digesting the target protein which includes a bead based temperature controllable microchip and computer based controllers for temperature and valve actuation. We firstly combined the temperature control function with a bead based microchip and realized the on-chip sequential reactions using two kinds of beads. The PEG-grafted bead, on which RNA aptamer was immobilized, was used for capturing and releasing the target protein. The target protein can be chosen by the type of RNA aptamer. In this paper, we used the RNA aptamer of HCV replicase. The trypsin coated bead was used for digesting the released protein prior to the matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometer (MALDI TOF MS). Heat is applied for release of the captured protein binding on the bead, thermal denaturation and trypsin digestion. PDMS microchannel and PDMS micro pneumatic valves were also combined for the small volume liquid handling. The entire procedures for the detection and the digestion of the target protein were successfully carried out on a microchip without any other chemical treatment or off-chip handling using $20\;{\mu}l$ protein mixture within 20 min. We could acquire six matched peaks (7% sequence coverage) of HCV replicase.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2022

Two small cryptic plasmids, pHG1 and pHG2, were isolated from Levilactobacillus zymae (formerly Lactobacillus zymae) GU240 and characterized. pHG1 is 1,814 bp in size with a GC content of 37.4% and contains two open reading frames. orf1 can potentially encode a protein of 101 amino acids (aa) with 99% identity with the copy number control protein of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei. orf2 can potentially encode a protein of 230 aa with 99% identity with a replication protein from multiple species. Six inverted repeats (IR I-VI) and six direct repeats (DR I-VI) were found in pHG1. pHG2 is 2,864 bp in size, with a GC content of 39.6%. pHG2 has two orfs. orf1 might encode a protein with 99% identity with the TrsL transmembrane protein. orf2 might encode a protein with 99% identity with plasmid recombination proteins from lactic acid bacteria. Both pHG1 and pHG2 may be useful as frames for constructing lactic acid bacteria-Escherichia coli shuttle vectors.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.50.1-50.16
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• 2020

Background: Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is a single-stranded DNA virus that causes porcine reproductive failure. It is of critical importance to study PPV pathogenesis for the prevention and control of the disease. NS1, a PPV non-structural protein, is participated in viral DNA replication, transcriptional regulation, and cytotoxicity. Our previous research showed that PPV can activate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and then up-regulate the expression of interleukin (IL)-6. Objectives: Herein, the purpose of this study is to determine whether the non-structural protein NS1 of PPV also has the same function. Methods: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot, immunofluorescence assay and small interfering RNA (siRNA) were used. Results: Our findings demonstrated that PPV NS1 protein can up-regulate the expression levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, PPV NS1 protein was found to induce the phosphorylation of IκBα, then leading to the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB. In addition, the NS1 protein activated the upstream pathways of NF-κB. Meanwhile, TLR2-siRNA assay showed TLR2 plays an important role in the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway induced by PPV-NS1. Conclusions: These findings indicated that PPV NS1 protein induced the up-regulated of IL-6 expression through activating the TLR2 and NF-κB signaling pathways. In conclusion, these findings provide a new avenue to study the innate immune mechanism of PPV infection.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.291-296
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• 2010

Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is a member of serine/threonine protein kinases, which initiates the principal transitions of the eukaryotic cell cycle and is a promising target for cancer therapy. The present study was designed to inhibit cdk2 gene expression to induce cell cycle arrest and cell proliferation suppression. Here, we constructed a series of RNA interference (RNAi) plasmids which can successfully express small interference RNA (siRNA) in the transfected human cells. The results showed that the RNAi plasmids containing the coding sequences for siRNAs down-regulated the cdk2 gene expression in human cancer cells at the mRNA and the protein levels. Furthermore, we found that the cell cycle was arrested at G0G1 phases and the cell proliferation was inhibited by different siRNAs. These results demonstrate that suppression of CDK2 activity by RNAi may be an effective strategy for gene therapy in human cancers.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 1969

A serious case of the stomach ulcer was cured completely through a dietery treatment. The patient was listed as one of worse cases by the doctors. The patient refused to accept doctors' advises to have al surgical operation and sticked to his idea of dietetics. The doctors openly expressed their scepticism to a successful out come of a dietery treatment. However, it has been a success. A special ulcer diet menu prepared for the patient was based on those principles as follow: 1. Ulcer diet contained high protein (70g/day) and high energy (2,000cal/day). 2. To maintain a minimum degree of pressure on digestive process of the stomach, several small meals more than three times a day were served. Fat was avoided except that contained in milk and small amount of butter on toast. 3. To help to neutralize acid of the stomach, ample amount of milk was served. 4. Irritating food and beverage were prohibited. It was concluded that milk was one of the best diet for a peptic ulcer patient, for it could neutralize acid of the stomach as well as could provide ample amount of high protein which expedite healing craters formed by the stomach or duodenal ulcer. It was reported that most of unsucessful peptic ulcer cases of the local patients could be attributed to their failure in observance of an ulcer diet during their dietery treatment period, particularly their unfriendly attitude toward a milk diet.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.268-274
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• 2003

Most currently known molecular structures were determined by X-ray crystallography or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). These methods generate a large amount of structure data, even far small molecules, and consist mainly of three-dimensional atomic coordinates. These are useful for analyzing molecular structure, but structure elements at higher level are also needed for a complete understanding of structure, and especially for structure prediction. Computational approaches exist for identifying secondary structural elements in proteins from atomic coordinates. However, similar methods have not been developed for RNA due in part to the very small amount of structure data so far available, and extracting the structural elements of RNA requires substantial manual work. Since the number of three-dimensional RNA structures is increasing, a more systematic and automated method is needed. We have developed a set of algorithms for recognizing secondary and tertiary structural elements in RNA molecules and in the protein-RNA structures in protein data banks (PDB). The present work represents the first attempt at extracting RNA structure elements from atomic coordinates in structure databases. The regularities in the structure elements revealed by the algorithms should provide useful information for predicting the structure of RNA molecules bound to proteins.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.230-234
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• 2003

The Bacillus subtilis YvaE protein, the small multidrug resistance (SMR) family (TC #2.A. 7.1), is shown to catalyze efflux of multiple cationic drugs including many disinfectants, when it was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. When the yvaD gene was coexpressed with yvaE gene, the yvaD protein, encoded within a single operon with the yvaE gene, is shown to counteract the action ofYvaE. By ethidium efflux analysis, the cells harvoring a vector with yvaE gene showed a rapid ethidium efflux, compared with the control cells. These results clearly suggest that YvaE mediates drug export from the cell cytoplasm.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.593-598
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• 2014

RNA polymerase II carboxyl-terminal domain (RNAPII CTD) phosphatases are responsible for the dephosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of the small subunit of RNAPII in eukaryotes. Recently, we demonstrated the identification of several interacting partners with human small CTD phosphatase1 (hSCP1) and the substrate specificity to delineate an appearance of the dephosphorylation catalyzed by SCP1. In this study, using the established cells for inducibly expressing hSCP1 proteins, we monitored the modification of ${\beta}$-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). O-GlcNAcylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications (PTMs). To gain insight into the PTM of hSCP1, we used the Western blot, immunoprecipitation, succinylayed wheat germ agglutinin-precipitation, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, and site-directed mutagenesis and identified the $Ser^{41}$ residue of hSCP1 as the O-GlcNAc modification site. These results suggest that hSCP1 may be an O-GlcNAcylated protein in vivo, and its N-terminus may function a possible role in the PTM, providing a scaffold for binding the protein(s).

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.455-456
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• 2016

Mutations of APC and KRAS are frequently observed in human colorectal cancers (CRCs) and the Wnt/β-catenin and Ras pathways are consequently activated in a significant proportion of CRC patients. Mutations in these two genes are also known to synergistically induce progression of CRCs. Through a series of studies, we have demonstrated that inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway negatively regulates Ras stability, therefore, Ras abundance is increased together with β-catenin in both mice and human CRCs harboring adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutations. In a recent study, we identified KY1220, a small molecule that simultaneously degrades β-catenin and Ras by inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and obtained its derivative KYA1797K, which has improved activity and solubility. We found that KYA1797K binds the RGS domain of axin and enhances the binding affinity of β-catenin or Ras with the β-catenin destruction complex components, leading to simultaneous destabilization of β-catenin and Ras via GSK3β activation. By using both in vitro and in vivo studies, we showed that KYA1797K suppressed the growth of CRCs harboring APC and KRAS mutations through destabilization of β-catenin and Ras. Therefore, our findings indicate that the simultaneous destabilization of β-catenin and Ras via targeting axin may serve as an effective strategy for inhibition of CRCs.