• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.373-378
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• 2004

The regulatory mechanism of methionine biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum was analyzed at the protein arid gene expression level. O-Acetylhomoserine sulfhydraylase (encoded by metY) was inhibited by 10 mM methionine to a residual activity of 10% level, whereas no such inhibition was found with cystathionine $\gamma$-synthase (encoded by metB) and cystathionine $\beta$-lyase (encoded by metC). The enzymatic activity of homoserine acetyltransferase (encoded by metX) was repressed to a residual activity of 25% level by 10 mM methionine which was added to the growth medium. Cystathionine $\gamma$-synthase and cystathionine $\beta$-lyase were also repressed by 10 mM methionine, but only to a residual activity of 50-70% level. O-Acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase was very sensitive to repression by 10 mM methionine, showing residual activity of 13%. In addition, homoserine acetyltransferase was also repressed by 10 mM cysteine to 50% of its original activity. No repression of the enzymes by S-adenosyl methionine was observed. The pattern of repression by methionine indicated that the metB and aecD genes might be regulated by a common mechanism, while the metA and metY genes are differently regulated.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.62-74
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• 2023

Plant pathogenic Pectobacterium species cause severe soft rot/blackleg diseases in many economically important crops worldwide. Pectobacterium utilizes plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) as the main virulence determinants for its pathogenicity. In this study, we screened a random mutant, M29 is a transposon insertion mutation in the metC gene encoding cystathionine β-lyase that catalyzes cystathionine to homocysteine at the penultimate step in methionine biosynthesis. M29 became a methionine auxotroph and resulted in growth defects in methionine-limited conditions. Impaired growth was restored with exogenous methionine or homocysteine rather than cystathionine. The mutant exhibited reduced soft rot symptoms in Chinese cabbages and potato tubers, maintaining activities of PCWDEs and swimming motility. The mutant was unable to proliferate in both Chinese cabbages and potato tubers. The reduced virulence was partially restored by a complemented strain or 100 µM of methionine, whereas it was fully restored by the extremely high concentration (1 mM). Our transcriptomic analysis showed that genes involved in methionine biosynthesis or transporter were downregulated in the mutant. Our results demonstrate that MetC is important for methionine biosynthesis and transporter and influences its virulence through Pcc21 multiplication in plant hosts.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.119-126
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• 2011

질병과 밀접한 관계가 있는 hCGL 단백질의 경우 대량 배양 시 유도체를 사용하지 않아도 발현이 되는 점과 유전자 측면에서 조작이 쉬운 E.coli를 이용하여도 발현이 된다는 점에 있어서 중요한 이점을 가지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 배양되는 온도와 발현에 관련 있는 유도체의 농도, 600 nm에서의 균 성장 정도에 따른 유도체의 첨가 그리고 배지의 양을 조절하면서 유입되는 aeration의 조건으로 hCGL 단백질 발현의 최적의 조건 확립을 목적으로 하였다. 또 각 발생되는 inclusion body의 양을 측정하면서 보다 많은 가용성 단백질을 발현시키는 조건을 확립하고자 하였다. hCGL 단백질은 저온에서 보다 많은 양의 단백질이 발현되며 inhibitor의 억제를 담당하는 유도체의 농도와는 상관없이 발현이 되었다. 또한 균의 성장 정도에 따라 유도체의 첨가시기를 달리 하였을 때, 발현 비율에 차이는 있었으나 전체적인 단백질 양과 비교해 보면, 이는 hCGL 발현에 큰 영향을 미치지 않는다. 배지의 양을 달리하여 살펴본 aeration에 따른 hCGL 발현 정도는 배지의 부피가 15%일 때 높은 aeration으로 균의 양은 많았으나 목적 단백질인 hCGL의 발현은 aeration이 되지 않는 조건에서 더 잘되는 것을 확인하였다. 그리고 His-TEV-hCGL의 활성은 야생형 hCGL의 활성을 기준으로 하였을 때, L-cystathionine을 기질로 하였을 경우 76%, L-cysteine을 기질로 하였을 경우 88% 수준으로 유사한 활성을 나타내었고, 이는 손쉽게 정제 가능한 His-TEV-hCGL을 야생형을 대신하여 사용할 수 있음을 시사한다. 또한 His-TEV-hCGL이 야생형 hCGL과 같이, 427 nm에서 흡광을 가지는 것으로 보아 보효소PLP를 포함하고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이로써 homocysteine 대사연구에 필수적인 hCGL 효소를 다량 얻는 방법을 확립하고, 관련 연구에 기여하리라 사료된다.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.425-430
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• 2008

생체에서의 황화수소는 의약 분야와 발효 산업에 있어서 중요한 역할을 하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 Saccharomyces cerevisiae을 이용하여 기질인 L-cysteine과 $\beta$-mercaptoethanol로부터 $\beta$-replacement 반응에 인한 황화수소를 발생시킬 수 있는 효소를 간편하고 신속하게 동정하는 방법의 확립을 목적으로 하였다. 효소에 의해 발생된 황화수소와 Pb-acetate의 반응으로 생성된 Pb-S를 gel상에서 간편하게 확인한 후, 확인된 단백질들을 이온교환컬럼를 수행한 후 gel에서 추출하는 방법으로 MALDI-TOFMS의 시료를 간단히 얻을 수 있었다. PMF 방법과 MS/MS ion search 분석을 통해 간편하게 효모에서 황화수소를 형성할 가능성이 있는 세가지 단백질의 동정에 성공하였다. 이 세 가지 단백질은 CYS3, CYS4, MET17 유전자의 단백질로서 cystathionine $\gamma$-lyase, CBS, OASS 임이 밝혀졌다. 그리고 이 세 단백질들은 L-cysteine과 $\beta$-mercaptoethanol의 존재하에서 황화수소를 실제로 생성함을 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 표적의 물질을 생산하는 단백질들을 젤상에서의 활성측정과 MALDI-TOF MS를 이용하여 간단히 그리고 정확하게 동정하는 방법을 확립하였다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

Hypothyroidism alone can lead to myocardial fibrosis and result in heart failure, but traditional hormone replacement therapy does not improve the fibrotic situation. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a new gas signaling molecule, possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic capabilities. Whether H₂S could improve hypothyroidism-induced myocardial fibrosis are not yet studied. In our study, H₂S could decrease collagen deposition in the myocardial tissue of rats caused by hypothyroidism. Furthermore, in hypothyroidism-induced rats, we found that H₂S could enhance cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE), not cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), protein expressions. Finally, we noticed that H₂S could elevate autophagy levels and inhibit the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signal transduction pathway. In conclusion, our experiments not only suggest that H₂S could alleviate hypothyroidism-induced myocardial fibrosis by activating autophagy and suppressing TGF-β1/SMAD family member 2 (Smad 2) signal transduction pathway, but also show that it can be used as a complementary treatment to conventional hormone therapy.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.135-145
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• 2012

Previously, we reported that Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis and gastric cancer are closely associated with increased levels of hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) and that Korean red ginseng significantly reduced the severity of H. pylori-associated gastric diseases by attenuating $H_2S$ generation. Because the incubation of endothelial cells with $H_2S$ has been known to enhance their angiogenic activities, we hypothesized that the amelioration of $H_2S$-induced gastric inflammation or angiogenesis in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) might explain the preventive effect of Korean red ginseng on H. pylori-associated carcinogenesis. The expression of inflammatory mediators, angiogenic growth factors, and angiogenic activities in the absence or presence of Korean red ginseng extracts (KRGE) were evaluated in HUVECs stimulated with the $H_2S$ generator sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS). KRGE efficiently decreased the expression of cystathionine ${\beta}$-synthase and cystathionine ${\gamma}$-lyase, enzymes that are essential for $H_2S$ synthesis. Concomitantly, a significant decrease in the expression of inflammatory mediators, including cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase, and several angiogenic factors, including interleukin (IL)-8, hypoxia inducible factor-1a, vascular endothelial growth factor, IL-6, and matrix metalloproteinases, was observed; all of these factors are normally induced after NaHS. An in vitro angiogenesis assay demonstrated that NaHS significantly increased tube formation in endothelial cells, whereas KRGE pretreatment significantly attenuated tube formation. NaHS activated p38 and Akt, increasing the expression of angiogenic factors and the proliferation of HUVECs, whereas KRGE effectively abrogated this $H_2S$-activated angiogenesis and the increase in inflammatory mediators in vascular endothelial cells. In conclusion, KRGE was able to mitigate $H_2S$-induced angiogenesis, implying that antagonistic action against $H_2S$-induced angiogenesis may be the mechanism underlying the gastric cancer preventive effects of KRGE in H. pylori infection.