• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.566-572
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• 2009

A recombinant plasmid, pDH3, was obtained from the genomic library of Serattia marcescens KCTC 2172, and several recombinant subclones constructed from pDH3. The nucleotide sequence of a 5,137 bp segment, pPH4, was determined and three open reading frames were detected. The three ORFs encoded the phosphate specific transport (pst) operon, which was pstC, pstA, and pstB, with the same direction of transcription. Comparison of the pst operon of S. marcescens with that of other organisms revealed that the genes for pstS and phoU were missing. A potential CRP bonding site and pho box sequence was found in the upstream of the putative promoter at the regulatory region. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence showed that homology in amino acid sequences between the PstC protein and Yersinia sp., Vibrio sp., and Pseudomonas sp. were 49, 37 and 33%, respectively. The PstA protein and Yersinia sp., Vibrio sp., and Pseudomonas sp. showed homologies of 64, 51, and 47%, respectively. PstB protein and Methanocaldococcus sp., E. coli, and Mycoplasma sp. showed homologies of 60, 50, and 48%, respectively. The pst genes could be expressed in vivo and positively regulated by cAMP-CRP. The E. coli strain harboring plasmid pPH7, with pst genes, increased with the transport of phosphate.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.60-65
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• 2005

The human solute carrier, SLC41Al, is a $Mg^{2}+$ transporter that is regulated by extracellular magnesium. Although intracellular magnesium plays a fundamental role in cellular metabolism, little is known about how $Mg^{2}+$ is taken up and controlled by cells. Magnesium plays a fundamental role in cellular metabolism so that its control within the body is critical. Magnesium homeostasis is principally a balance between intestinal absorption of dietary magnesium and renal excretion of urinary magnesium. The kidney, mainly the distal convoluted tubule, controls magnesium reabsorption. Although renal reabsorption is under the influence of many hormones, selective regulation of magnesium transport is due to intrinsic control involving transcriptional processes and synthesis of transport proteins. Using microarray analysis, identification of the genetic elements involved with this transcriptional control has been begun. SLC41A1(GenBank Accession No. AJ514402), comprises 10 putative transmembrane domains, two of which are highly homologous to the integral membrane part of the prokaryote transports $Mg^{2}+$ and other divalent cations $Sr^2+,\;Zn^2+,\;Cu^2+,\;Fe^2+,\;Co^2+,\;Ba^2+,\;and\;Cd^2+,\;but\;not\;Ca^2+,\;Mn^2+,\;and\;Ni^2+.$ Transport of $Mg^{2}+$ by SLC41Al is rheogenic, voltage dependent, and not coupled to Na or Cl. Expressed SLC41Al transports a range of other divalent cations: $Mg^{2+},\;Sr^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;Cu^{2+},\;Fe^{2+},\;Co^{2+},\;Ba^{2+},\;and\;Cd^{2+}$. The divalent cations $Ca^{2+},\;Mn^{2+},\;and\;Ni^{2+}$and the trivalent ion $Gd^{3+}$ did not induce currents nor did they inhibit $Mg^{2+}$ transport. The nonselective cation $La^{3+}$ abolishes $Mg^{2+}$ uptake. Computer analysis of the SLC41Al protein structure reveals that it belongs to MgtE protein family & suggested that the human solute carrier, SLC41Al, might be a eukaryotic $Mg^{2+}$ transporter closely related $(60-70\%)$ protein encoded by SLC41A2 is a $Mg^{2}+$ transporter that might be involved in magnesium homeostasis in epithelial cells also transports a range of other divalent cations: $Ba^2,\;Ni^2,\;CO^2,\;Fe^2,\;or\;Mn^2,\;but\;not\;Ca^2,\;Zn^2,\;or\;Cu^{2+}$ that may have related functional properties.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.427-432
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• 2012

Primary cilia, single hair-like appendage on the surface of the most mammalian cells, were once considered to be vestigial cellular organelles for a past century because of their tiny structure and unknown function. Although they lack ancestral motility function of cilia or flagella, they share common ground with multiciliated motile cilia and flagella on internal structure such as microtubule based nine outer doublets nucleated from the base of mother centrioles called basal body. Making cilia, ciliogenesis, in cells depends on the cell cycle stage due to reuse of centrioles for cell division forming mitotic spindle pole (M phase) and assembling cilia from basal body (starting G1 phase and maintaining most of interphase). Ciliary assembly required two conflicting processes such as assembly and disassembly and balance between these two processes determines the length of cilia. Both process required highly conserved transport system to supply needed substance to grow tip of cilia and bring ciliary turnover product back to the base of cilia using motor protein, kinesin and dynein, and transport protein complex, IFT particles. Disruption of ciliary structure or function causes multiple human disorder called ciliopathies affecting disease of diverse ciliated tissues ranging from eye, kidney, respiratory tract and brain. Recent explosion of research on the primary cilia and their involvement on animal development and disease attracts scientific interest on how extensively the function of cilia related to specific cell physiology and signaling pathway. In this review, I introduce general features of primary cilia and recent progress in understanding of the ciliary length control and signaling pathways transduced through primary cilia in vertebrates.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2016

Salsolinol (SAL), a compound derived from dopamine metabolism, is the most probable neurotoxin involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we investigated the modification and inactivation of human ceruloplasmin (hCP) induced by SAL. Incubation of hCP with SAL increased the protein aggregation and enzyme inactivation in a dose-dependent manner. Reactive oxygen species scavengers and copper chelators inhibited the SAL-mediated hCP modification and inactivation. The formation of dityrosine was detected in SAL-mediated hCP aggregates. Amino acid analysis post the exposure of hCP to SAL revealed that aspartate, histidine, lysine, threonine and tyrosine residues were particularly sensitive. Since hCP is a major copper transport protein, oxidative damage of hCP by SAL may induce perturbation of the copper transport system, which subsequently leads to deleterious conditions in cells. This study of the mechanism by which ceruloplasmin is modified by salsolinol may provide an explanation for the deterioration of organs under neurodegenerative disorders such as PD. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(1): 45-50]

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.531-537
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• 2023

Intracellular and axonal transport is mediated by microtubule-dependent motor proteins, such as kinesins and cytoplasmic dynein. Kinesin moves along the microtubule to the positive end of the microtubule, while dynein moves to the negative end of the microtubule. Kinesin-1 was first identified as a kinesin superfamily protein (KIF) that functions in the intracellular transport of various cargoes, including organelles, neurotransmitter receptors, and mRNA-protein complexes, through interactions between the carboxyl (C)-terminal domain and the cargo. It interacts with other cargoes, but the adapter/scaffold proteins that mediate between kinesin-1 and the cargo have yet to be fully identified. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid screen was used to identify adapter proteins that interact with the C-terminal region of KIF5A. We found an association between the C-terminal region of KIF5A and the cyclin-dependent kinase 2-associated protein 1 (CDK2AP1), originally identified in malignant hamster oral keratinocytes. CDK2AP1 bound to the C-terminal region of KIF5A and did not interact with KIF3A (the motor of kinesin-2), KIF5B, KIF5C, and kinesin light chain 1 (KLC1). The C-terminal region of CDK2AP1 is essential for its interaction with KIF5A. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, CDK2AP1 and kinesin-1 co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized in the cells. These results suggest that the KIF5A-CDK2AP1 interaction serves as an adapter protein connecting kinesin-1 and the cargo when kinesin-1 transports cargo in cells.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.660-667
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• 2000

Previous studies on the effect of age on intestinal taurine transport in animals have invariably shown a decline in the activity of the transport system with increasing age. In the present study changes in taurine transporter activity were observed during cell differentiation in the human colon carcinoma cell line HT-29 This cell line exhibits various enterocytic characteristics when differentiated and therefore has frequently been used to study the characteristcs and regulation of nutrient and drug absorption in the small intestine at the cellular level. Pre-treatment of the cells with $\beta$-alanine(10mM) reduced the taurine transport activity to 33% of the value for the control cells(p<0.05) which implies that taurine and $\beta$-alanine share a common $\beta$-amino acid transport system for their celluar uptake in the HI-29 was continued until 21 days post seeding. Kinetic studies of the taurine transporter were conducted in the HT-29 cell line with varying taurine concentration(5-60$\mu$M) in the uptake medium Both Vmax and the Michaelis-Menten constant(Km) of taurine transporter were decreased as differentiation of the HT-29 cell line was progressed ; Vmax of the taurine transporter in cells incubated for 4, 14 and 21 days post seeding was 2.79$\pm$3.4m 16.89$\pm$1.74, and 0.85$\pm$0.08 and 0.32$\pm$0.01nmol.mg protein-1 .30min-1 respectively(p<0.001) and Km was 42.3$\pm$3.4, 16.89$\pm$1.74, and 11.2$\pm$3.0$\mu$M respectively (p<0.01) These results indicate that the activity of sodium dependent active taurine transport system in the HT-29 cell line is decreased as confluent cells are differentiated. This phenomenon in cell culture system corresponds well with the earlier observation of lower intestinal taurine transport activity in suckling rats compared to that in adult animals although direct relationship of cell differentiation with in vivo aging process needs further verification.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.963-969
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• 2016

Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) are microtubule-dependent molecular motor proteins essential for the intracellular transport of organelles and protein complexes in cells. Kinesin 1 is a member of those KIFs that transport various cargoes, including organelles, synaptic vesicles, neurotransmitter receptors, cell signaling molecules, and mRNAs through interaction between its light chain subunit and the cargoes. Kinesin light chains (KLCs) are non-motor subunits that associate with the kinesin heavy chain (KHC) dimer. KLCs interact with many different binding proteins, but their particular binding proteins have not yet been fully identified. We used the yeast two-hybrid assay to identify proteins that interact with the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of KLC1. We found an interaction between the TPR domain of KLC1 and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 1 (WAVE1), a member of the WASP/WAVE family involved in regulation of actin cytoskeleton. WAVE1 bound to the six TPR domain-containing regions of KLC1 and did not interact with KHCs (KIF5A, KIF5B, and KIF5C) in the yeast two-hybrid assay. The carboxyl (C)-terminal verprolin-cofilin-acidic (VCA) domain of WAVE1 is essential for interaction with KLC1. Also, other WAVE isoforms (WAVE2 and WAVE3) interacted with KLC1 in the yeast two-hybrid assay. When co-expressed in HEK-293T cells, WAVE1 co-localized with KLC1 and co-immunoprecipitated with KLC1 and KIF5B. These results suggest that kinesin 1 motor protein may transport WAVE complexes or WAVE-coated cargoes in cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1142-1148
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• 2020

Mitochondria play a vital role in iron uptake and metabolism in pathogenic fungi, and also influence virulence and drug tolerance. However, the regulation of iron transport within the mitochondria of Cryptococcus neoformans, a causative agent of fungal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals, remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized Mrs3/4, a homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial iron transporter, in C. neoformans var. grubii. A strain expressing an Mrs3/4-GFP fusion protein was generated, and the mitochondrial localization of the fusion protein was confirmed. Moreover, a mutant lacking the MRS3/4 gene was constructed; this mutant displayed significantly reduced mitochondrial iron and cellular heme accumulation. In addition, impaired mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster metabolism and altered expression of genes required for iron uptake at the plasma membrane were observed in the mrs3/4 mutant, suggesting that Mrs3/4 is involved in iron import and metabolism in the mitochondria of C. neoformans. Using a murine model of cryptococcosis, we demonstrated that an mrs3/4 mutant is defective in survival and virulence. Taken together, our study suggests that Mrs3/4 is responsible for iron import in mitochondria and reveals a link between mitochondrial iron metabolism and the virulence of C. neoformans.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.643-654
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• 2017

Autophagy is a degradation pathway in eukaryotic cells in which aging proteins and organelles are sequestered into double-membrane vesicles, termed autophagosomes, which fuse with vacuoles to hydrolyze cargo. The key step in autophagy is the formation of autophagosomes, which requires different kinds of vesicles, including COPII vesicles and Atg9-containing vesicles, to transport lipid double-membranes to the phagophore assembly site (PAS). In yeast, the cis-Golgi localized t-SNARE protein Sed5 plays a role in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi and intra-Golgi vesicular transport. We report that during autophagy, sed5-1 mutant cells could not properly transport Atg8 to the PAS, resulting in multiple Atg8 dots being dispersed into the cytoplasm. Some dots were trapped in the Golgi apparatus. Sed5 regulates the anterograde trafficking of Atg9-containing vesicles to the PAS by participating in the localization of Atg23 and Atg27 to the Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of SFT1 or SFT2 (suppressor of sed5 ts) rescued the autophagy defects in sed5-1 mutant cells. Our data suggest that Sed5 plays a novel role in autophagy, by regulating the formation of Atg9-containing vesicles in the Golgi apparatus, and the genetic interaction between Sft1/2 and Sed5 is essential for autophagy.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.493-502
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• 2009

Glucose is a major source of metabolic fuel and lipid and protein syntheses. Transport of glucose into the cell is regulated by an action of glucose transport.associated transporters, especially solute carriers 2A (Slc2a, protein symbol GLUT). The present study was focused on examination of mRNA expression of various Slc2a isoforms in the epididymis during postnatal development. Total RNAs isolated from different epididymal segments (caput, corpus, and caudal epididymis) were utilized for real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Results showed that Slc2a 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 were expressed in the entire epididymal regions. In addition, the abundance of these Slc2a isoforms' transcripts was different within each epididymal regions. Moreover, the present study showed differential expression of these Slc2a isoforms among different epididymal segments according to postnatal ages. The current study suggests that glucose transport in the epididymis via various Slc2a isoforms would be necessary for maintenance of the epididymal functions.