• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.703-708
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• 2005

We cloned and expressed human pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) phosphatase, the coenzymatically active form of vitamin $B_6$, in Escherichia coli using pET15b vector. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were generated against purified human brain PLP phosphatase in mice, and four antibodies recognizing different epitopes were obtained, one of which inhibited PLP phosphatase. The binding affinities of these four mAbs to PLP phosphatase, as determined using biosensor technology, showed that they had similar binding affinities. Using the anti-PLP phosphatase antibodies as probes, we investigated their cross-reactivities in various mammalian and human tissues and cell lines. The immunoreactive bands obtained on Western blots had molecular masses of ca. 33 kDa. Similarly fractionated extracts of several mammalian cell lines all produced a single band of molecular mass 33 kDa. We believe that these PLP phosphatase mAbs could be used as valuable immunodiagnostic reagents for the detection, identification, and characterization of various neurological diseases related to vitamin $B_6$ abnormalities.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 1999

16brio cholerne is an important pathogenic organism that causes dimhea in human beings. V ciaoleroe KNIH002 was isolated from patients suffering with dian.heal disease in Korea. From Southern hybridization using the amplified PCR product of 307 bp as a probe. which was obtained from PCR reaction using primer detecting cholera toxin gene, we have found that the c b gene located in 4.5-kb fragmenl double digested with Pstl and BgllI of the chromosome. Therefore, we made mini-libraries of the isolate using PstI and Bgm restriction endonuclease and pBluescript SKU(+) vector. As a result. we cloned 4.5-kb PstI-BglII fragment containing the c a gene encoding a cholera toxin from the constructed mini-libraries of V olzolerae KNlH002 by colony hybridization using the same probes. This recombinant plasmid was named pCTX75. E. coii XL1- Blue harboring pCTX75 showed the cytotoxicity on Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. From the sequencing of he cloned recombinant plasmid, we confinned that it has virulence gene cassette consisting of ace, zot, ctx.4 and cf"~B gene. The ace and zot genes were composed of 291 hp and 1.200 bp with ATG initiation codon and TGA lennination codon, respectively. Nucleotide sequence of the ace gene exhibited 100% identity with that of V cholera E7946 El Tor Ogawa strains. But, nucleolide and amino acid sequence comparison of the zot gene exhibited 99% and 98.8% identity with that of V cholerae 395 Classical Ogawa stram, respectively. Specially. the Ala-100, Ala-272 and Ala-281 sites of Zoi polypeptide presented in V choleme 395 Classical Ogawa strain are replaced by Val in V cholerae KNIH002.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2002

Background: S100A6 is a calcium-binding protein overexpressed in several tumor cell lines including melanoma with high metastatic activity and involved in various cellular processes such as cell division and differentiation. To detect S100A6 protein in patient' samples (ex, blood or tissue), it is essential to produce a monoclonal antibody specific to the protein. Methods: First, cDNA coding for ORF region of human S100A6 gene was amplified and cloned into the expression vector for GST fusion protein. We have produced recombinant S100A6 protein and subsequently, monoclonal antibodies to the protein. The specificity of anti-S100A6 monoclonal antibody was confirmed using recombinant S100A recombinant proteins of other S100A family (GST-S100A1, GST-S100A2 and GST-S100A4) and the cell lysates of several human cell lines. Also, to identify the specific recognition site of the monoclonal antibody, we have performed the immunoblot analysis with serially deleted S100A6 recombinant proteins. Results: GST-S100A6 recombinant protein was induced and purified. And then S100A6 protein excluding GST protein was obtained and monoclonal antibody to the protein was produced. Monoclonal antibody (K02C12-1; patent number, 330311) has no cross-reaction to several other S100 family proteins. It appears that anti-S100A6 monoclonal antibody reacts with the region containing the amino acid sequence from 46 to 61 of S100A6 protein. Conclusion: These data suggest that anti-S100A6 monoclonal antibody produced can be very useful in development of diagnostic system for S100A6 protein.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.638-643
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• 2007

The full encoding sequence for human type II hexokinase (HXK II) was cloned into the E. coli expression vector pET 21b and expressed as a C-terminally hexahistidine-tagged protein in the BL2l (DE3) strain. The IPTG-induced HXK II approximately accounted for 17% of the total E. coli proteins, and 81% of HXK $II_{6{\times}His}$ existed in inclusion bodies. To improve the production of soluble recombinant HXK II protein, in the functionally active form, we used low temperature, and the osmotic stress expression method. When expressed at $18^{\circ}C$, about 83% of HXK $II_{6{\times}His}$ existed in the soluble fraction, which amounted to a 4.1-fold yield over that expressed at $37^{\circ}C$. The soluble form of HXK $II_{6{\times}His}$ was also highly produced in the presence of 1M sorbitol under the standard condition $(37^{\circ}C)$, which indicated that temperature downshift and low water potentials were required to improve the yield of active recombinant HXK II protein. The expressed protein was purified by metal chelate affinity chromatography performed in an IDA Excellose column charged with $Ni^{2+}$ ions, resulting in about 40mg recombinant HXK II protein obtained with purity over 89% from 51 of E. coli culture. The identity of HXK $II_{6{\times}His}$ was confirmed by Western blotting analysis. Taken together, using the stress-governed expression described in this study, human active HXK II can be purified in sufficient amounts for biochemical and biomedical studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2251-2256
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• 2015

To study effects of cellular FLICE (FADD-like IL-$1{\beta}$-converting enzyme)-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) inhibition by RNA interference (RNAi) on sensitivity of U2OS cells to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis, plasmid pSUPER-c-FLIP-siRNA was constructed and then transfected into U2OS cells. A stable transfection cell clone U2OS/pSUPER-c-FLIP-siRNA was screened from the c-FLIP-siRNA transfected cells. RT-PCR and Western blotting were applied to measure the expression of c-FLIP at the levels of mRNA and protein. The results indicated that the expression of c-FLIP was significantly suppressed by the c-FLIP-siRNA in the cloned U2OS/pSUPER-c-FLIP-siRNA as compared with the control cells of U2OS/pSUPER. The cloned cell line of U2OS/pSUPER-c-FLIP-siRNA was further examined for TRAILinduced cell death and apoptosis in the presence of a pan-antagonist of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) AT406, with or without 4 hrs pretreatment with rocaglamide, an inhibitor of c-FLIP biosynthesis, for 24 hrs. Cell death effects and apoptosis were measured by the methods of MTT assay with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and flow cytometry, respectively. The results indicated that TRAIL-induced cell death in U2OS/pSUPER-c-FLIP-siRNA was increased compared with control cells U2OS/pSUPER in the presence or absence of AT406. Flow cytometry indicated that TRAIL-induced cell death effects proceeded through cell apoptosis pathway. However, in the presence of rocaglamide, cell death or apoptotic effects of TRAIL were similar and profound in both cell lines, suggesting that the mechanism of action for both c-FLIP-siRNA and rocaglamide was identical. We conclude that the inhibition of c-FLIP by either c-FLIP-siRNA or rocaglamide can enhance the sensitivity of U2OS to TRAIL-induced apopotosis, suggesting that inhibition of c-FLIP is a good target for anti-cancer therapy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.113-113
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• 2002

Phylogenetically conserved Bcl-2 family proteins play a pivotal role in the regulation of apoptosis from virus to human. Members of the Bcl-2 family consist of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w, and proapoptotic proteins such as BAD, Bax, BOD, and Bok. It has been proposed that anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins regulate cell death by binding to each other and forming heterodimers. A delicate balance between anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members exists in each cell and the relative concentration of these two groups of proteins determines whether the cell survives or undergoes apoptosis. Mcl-1 (Myeloid cell :leukemia-1) is a member of the Bcl-2 family proteins and was originally cloned as a differentiation-induced early gene that was activated in the human myeloblastic leukemia cell line, ML-1 . Mcl-1 is expressed in a wide variety of tissues and cells including neoplastic ones. We recently identified a short splicing variant of Mcl-1 short (Mcl-IS) and designated the known Mcl-1 as Mcl-1 long (Mcl-lL). Mcl-lL protein exhibits antiapoptotic activity and possesses the BH (Bcl-2 homology) 1, BH2, BH3, and transmembrane (TM) domains found in related Bcl-2 proteins. In contrast, Mcl-1 S is a BH3 domain-only proapoptotic protein that heterodimerizes with Mcl-lL. Although both Mc1-lL and Mcl-lS proteins contain BH domains fecund in other Bcl-2 family proteins, they are distinguished by their unusually long N-terminal sequences containing PEST (proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) motifs, four pairs of arginine residues, and alanine- and glycine-rich regions. In addition, the expression pattern of Mcl-1 protein is different from that of Bcl-2 suggesting a unique role (or Mcl-1 in apoptosis regulation. Tankyrasel (TRF1-interacting, ankyrin-related ADP-related polymerasel) was originally isolated based on its binding to TRF 1 (telomeric repeat binding factor-1) and contains the sterile alpha motif (SAM) module, 24 ankyrin (ANK) repeats, and the catalytic domain of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Previous studies showed that tankyrasel promotes telomere elongation in human cells presumably by inhibiting TRFI though its poly(ADP-ribosyl)action by tankyrasel . In addition, tankyrasel poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates Insulin-responsive amino peptidase (IRAP), a resident protein of GLUT4 vesicles, and insulin stimulates the PARP activity of tankyrase1 through its phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification that usually results in a loss of protein activity presumably by enhancing protein turnover. However, little information is available regarding the physiological function(s) of tankyrase1 other than as a PARP enzyme. In the present study, we found tankyrasel as a specific-binding protein of Mcl-1 Overexpression of tankyrasel led to the inhibition of both the apoptotic activity of Mel-lS and the survival action of Mcl-lL in mammalian cells. Unlike other known tankyrasel-interacting proteins, tankyrasel did not poly(ADP-ribosyl)ate either of the Mcl-1 proteins despite its ability to decrease Mcl-1 proteins expression following coexpression. Therefore, this study provides a novel mechanism to regulate Mcl-1-modulated apoptosis in which tankyrasel downregulates the expression of Mcl-1 proteins without the involvement of its ADP-ribosylation activity.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.181-187
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• 2006

In recent years the number of patients waiting for organ transplantation has greatly outpaced the supply of human organs available, which leads to a renewed interest in pig-to-human xenotransplantation as an alternative. However, one of the biggest barriers in the xenotransplantation is presence of porcine endogenous retroviruses(PERV) that can infect human cells. In this study, to present a possible solution for this problem we tried to inhibit expression of PERVs using shRNAs(short hairpin RNA) at the level of RNA synthesis and virus release. The shRNA targeting the sequence of PERV A, B type was cloned into pSIREN-RetroQ vector under the control of polymerase-III U6-RNA gene promoter. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to detect my alterations in mRNA production of PERV A, B targeted by the shRNA in each done. Depending on the target sequence of the shRNA, the transcription of PERV was decreased to as much as 4% and the number of progeny viruses was reduced to less than 1/200,000. Transgenic pigs producing such shRNAs may result in a highly reduced PERV expression in cells and organs, which is a prerequisite for safe xenotransplantations.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2004

Background: A human orthologue of mouse S100A6-binding protein (CacyBP), Siah-1-interacting protein (SIP) had been shown to be a component of novel ubiquitinylation pathway regulating $\beta$-catenin degradation. The role of the protein seems to be important in cell proliferation and cancer evolution but the expression pattern of SIP in actively dividing cancer tissues has not been known. For the elucidation of the role of SIP protein in carcinogenesis, it is essential to produce monoclonal antibodies specific to the protein. Methods: cDNA sequence coding for ORF region of human SIP gene was amplified and cloned into an expression vector to produce His-tag fusion protein. Recombinant SIP protein and monoclonal antibody to the protein were produced. The N-terminal specificity of anti-SIP monoclonal antibody was conformed by immunoblot analysis and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To study the relation between SIP and colon carcinogenesis, the presence of SIP protein in colon carcinoma tissues was visualized by immunostaining using the monoclonal antibody produced in this study. Results: His-tag-SIP (NSIP) recombinant protein was produced and purified. A monoclonal antibody (Korea patent pending; #2003-45296) to the protein was produced and employed to analyze the expression pattern of SIP in colon carcinoma tissues. Conclusion: The data suggested that anti-SIP monoclonal antibody produced here was valuable for the diagnosis of colon carcinoma and elucidation of the mechanism of colon carcinogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2011

Zinc finger (ZNF) proteins play a critical role in cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and intracellular signal transduction. In this paper, we cloned and characterized a novel human KRAB-related zinc finger gene, ZNF425, which encodes a protein of 752 amino acids. ZNF425 is strongly expressed in the three month old human embryos and then is almost undetectable in six month old embryos and in adult tissues. An EGFP-ZNF425 fusion protein can be found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. ZNF425 appears to act as a transcription repressor. Over-expression of ZNF425 inhibits the transcriptional activities of SRE, AP-1, and SRF. Deletion analysis indicates that the C2H2 domain is the main region responsible for the repression. Our results suggest that the ZNF425 gene is a new transcriptional inhibitor that functions in the MAPK signaling pathway.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2008

The gene encoding human pancreatic pro-carboxypeptidase B (CPB) was cloned and fused to Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating factor alpha-1 secretion signal $(MF{\alpha}1)$, in which the transcription of $MF{\alpha}1$-pro-CPB was under the control of GAL10 promoter. The constructed plasmid $pY{\alpha}$-hproCPB(7.72 kb) was transformed into S. cerevisiae 2805. The recombinant human pro-CPB (hproCPB) was successfully expressed in S. cerevisiae after induction of galactose, and could be secreted into the culture medium. By analyses of SDS-PAGE and western blotting, the molecular weight of the purified hproCPB was estimated to be a 45.9kDa. The activity of extracellular hCPB after removal of pro-region by trypsin treatment reached about 10.16 unit/ml at batch culture of S. cerevisiae $2805/pY{\alpha}$-hproCPB for 60 h. Also, the Km value of partially purified recombinant hCPB is about 0.43 mM.