• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.575-580
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• 2017

This study analyzed the effects of RGG box of hnRNP A1 on its subcellular localization and stabilization of hnRNP A1 over a three year period from October 2014. First, a 6R/K mutation in RGG box was generated, and pcDNA1-HA-hnRNP A1(6R/K) was constructed. The subcellular localization of hnRNP A1(6R/K) from the HeLa cells transfected with this plasmid DNA was analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. HA-hnRNP A1(6R/K) was found to exhibit nuclear and cytoplasmic fluorescence. The stability of hnRNP A1(6R/K) was checked by Western blot analysis using the expressed protein from the HeLa cells transfected with the pcDNA1-HA-hnRNP A1(6R/K). The results show that HA-hnRNP A1(6R/K) has a smaller size. These confirm that HA-hnRNP A1(6R/K) is localized both in the nuclear and cytoplasm, not because 6R/K mutation affects the nuclear localization of hnRNP A1, but because 6R/K mutation causes hnRNP A1(6R/K) to cleave at the mutation or near the mutation site. The cleaved protein fragment, which lacks the M9 domain (i.e. nuclear localization signal of hnRNP A1), did not exhibit nuclear fluorescence. This suggests that the arginines of RGG box in hnRNP A1 play an important role in stabilizing hnRNP A1. An analysis of the RNA-binding ability of hnRNP A1(6R/K) expressed and purified from bacteria will be a subsequent research project.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 2018

Many cytoplasmic proteins are targeted to the cytoplasmic membrane of the trans-Golgi network (TGN) via an N-terminal short helix. We previously showed that the 20 N-terminal amino acids of Aplysia phosphodiesterase 4 (ApPDE4) long form are sufficient for its targeting to the plasma membrane and the TGN. The N-terminus of the ApPDE4 long form binds to PI4P and sulfatide in vitro. Therefore, in order to decipher the roles of sulfatide in Golgi complex targeting, we examined the cellular localization of sulfatide-binding peptides. In this study, we found that enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fused to the C-terminus of modified sulfatide- and heparin-binding peptides (mHSBP-EGFP) was localized to the TGN. On the other hand, its mutant, in which tryptophan was replaced with an alanine, leading to the impairment of heparin and sulfatide binding, was localized to cytosol. We also found that the TGN targeting of mHSBP-EGFP is impaired by the treatment of antimycin A, phenylarsine oxide (PAO), and adenosine but not a high concentration of wortmannin. These results suggest that PAO and adenosine-sensitive kinases, including phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase II, may play key roles in the recruitment of mHSBP-EGFP.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2001

In this study, the distribution of lectin receptors in culutured fibroblast was explored using colloidal gold label complexed with lectin WGA purified from wheat germ (Triticum vulgare). The lectin WGA gold complex, shown to recognize GlcNAc (N-acetylgalactosamine) and NeuNAc (N-acetylneuraminic acid) regions, was applied to detect binding sites in Lowicryl HM 20 sections viewed under electron microscope Labeled sections of the culutured fibroblast revealed gold particles specifically distributed on the cytoplasm and cell surface of the fibroblast. Labeling of 24 hours culutured fibroblast was then quantified and compared to that of 72 hours culutured fibroblast. 24 hours culutured fibroblast sections resulted in specific gold particle distribution on the cytoplasmic vesicle of the culutured fibroblast. These results indicate that lectin WGA receptors are located in the cytoplasmic vesicle and cell surface of the 24 hours culutured fibroblast, and on the cell surface of the 72 hours culutured fibroblast. Therefore, the GlcNAc and NeuNAc regions on the cell surface appear to be functionally associated with cell-recognition and protection from other cell of the tissue, and linked with secretion and exocytosis of the fibroblast cytoplasm.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.949-954
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• 2019

Membrane topology is a key characteristic of membrane proteins. We previously reported the cloning of the chromosome 4 open-reading frame 32 (C4orf32) gene as a potential membrane protein; however, the cellular localization and membrane topology of C4orf32 was as yet unknown. In this study, we found that green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the C-terminus of C4orf32 (C4orf32-GFP) was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We applied three tools to identify determinants of C4orf32 topology: protease protection, fluorescence protease protection (FPP), and an inducible system using the ternary complex between FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP), rapamycin, and the rapamycin-binding domain of mTOR (FRB) (the FRB-rapamycin-FKBP system). Using protease protection and FPP assays, we found that the GFP tag in C4orf32-GFP was localized to the cytoplasmic surface of the ER membrane of HeLa cells. Protease protection and FPP assays are useful and complimentary tools for identifying the topology of GFP fusion membrane proteins. The FRB-rapamycin-FKBP system was also used to study the topology of C4orf32. In the absence of rapamycin, a monomeric red fluorescent protein-FKBP fusion (mRFP-FKBP) and C4orf32-GFP-FRB were localized to the cytoplasm and the ER membrane, respectively. However, in the presence of rapamycin, the mRFP-FKBP was shifted from the cytoplasm to the ER and colocalized with the C4orf32-GFP-FRB. These results indicate that the FRB moiety is facing the cytoplasmic surface of ER membrane. Overall, our results clearly suggest that C4orf32 belongs to the family of type I ER resident membrane proteins.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.849-856
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• 2017

The ${\beta}$-D-fructofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.26) is an important enzyme from a historical point of view, discovered by French biologist Berthelot in 1860 and was first used to study enzymology. ${\beta}$-D-fructosfuranosidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into D-glucose and D-fructose. Four biochemical subgroups of ${\beta}$-D-fructofuranosidase have been investigated in plants. There are vacuolar (soluble acid), cytoplasmic (soluble alkaline), membrane-bound (insoluble alkaline), and cell wall-bound (insoluble acid) ${\beta}$-D-fructofuranosidase by purification. Their biochemical characteristics are distinct. It suggested that those enzymes might be different gene products. The contribution of each of these enzymes to sucrose management in the plant is likely to be correlated with their localization. Common localization in developing cells in tissues from a range of developmental stages and plant parts suggests that all of the isoforms may be closely involved in nutrient transport. The ${\beta}$-D-fructofuranosidases were most commonly found associated with maturing tissues in developing fruits, leaves, and roots. The ${\beta}$-D-fructofuranosidase activity varies in the relationship between growth and expansion through cell division, development of storage organs and tissues, and the relationship of plant defense responses. It is necessary to summarize more researches in order to know the definite physiological function.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3669-3676
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• 2013

Faithful transmission of genetic information depends on accurate chromosome segregation as cells exit from mitosis, and errors in chromosomal segregation are catastrophic and may lead to aneuploidy which is the hallmark of cancer. In eukaryotes, an elaborate molecular control system ensures proper orchestration of events at mitotic exit. Phosphorylation of specific tyrosyl residues is a major control mechanism for cellular proliferation and the activities of protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatases must be integrated. Although mitotic kinases are well characterized, phosphatases involved in mitosis remain largely elusive. Here we identify a novel variant of mouse protein tyrosine phosphatase containing domain 1 (Ptpcd1), that we named Ptpcd2. Ptpcd1 is a Cdc14 related centrosomal phosphatase. Our newly identified Ptpcd2 shared a significant homology to yeast Cdc14p (34.1%) and other Cdc14 family of phosphatases. By subcellular fractionation Ptpcd2 was found to be enriched in the cytoplasm and nuclear pellets with catalytic phosphatase activity. By means of immunofluorescence, Ptpcd2 was spatiotemporally regulated in a cell cycle dependent manner with cytoplasmic abundance during mitosis, followed by nuclear localization during interphase. Overexpression of Ptpcd2 induced mitotic exit with decreased levels of some mitotic markers. Moreover, Ptpcd2 failed to colocalize with the centrosomal marker ${\gamma}$-tubulin, suggesting it as a non-centrosomal protein. Taken together, Ptpcd2 phosphatase appears a non-centrosomal variant of Ptpcd1 with probable mitotic functions. The identification of this new phosphatase suggests the existence of an interacting phosphatase network that controls mammalian mitosis and provides new drug targets for anticancer modalities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1844-1854
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• 2017

Trichomonas vaginalis is a pathogen that triggers severe immune responses in hosts. T. vaginalis ${\alpha}$-actinin 2 ($Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2) has been used to diagnose trichomoniasis. $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 was dissected into three parts; the N-terminal, central, and C-terminal portions of the protein (#1, #2, and #3, respectively). Western blot of these $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 proteins with pooled patients' sera indicated that #2 and #3, but not #1, reacted with those sera. Immunofluorescence assays of two different forms of T. vaginalis (trophozoites and amoeboid forms), using anti-$Tv{\alpha}$- actinin 2 antibodies, showed localization of $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 close to the plasma membranes of the amoeboid form. Fractionation experiments indicated the presence of $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 in cytoplasmic, membrane, and secreted proteins of T. vaginalis. Binding of fluorescence-labeled Trichomonas to vaginal epithelial cells and prostate cells was decreased in the antibody blocking experiment using anti-$Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 antibodies. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with anti-$rTv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 antibodies also resulted in reduction in its cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry, ligand-binding immunoblotting assay, and observation by fluorescence microscopy were used to detect the binding of recombinant $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 to human epithelial cell lines. Specifically, the truncated N-terminal portion of $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2, $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 #1, was shown to bind directly to vaginal epithelial cells. These data suggest that ${\alpha}$-actinin 2 is one of the virulence factors responsible for the pathogenesis of T. vaginalis by serving as an adhesin to the host cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2011

In general, expression of membrane protein in Escherichia coli is very toxic to the host organism, but the mechanism for the toxicity is not clear yet. Expression of human purinergic receptor $P2X_4$ was found to be extremely toxic to the host E. coli. We examined this toxicity by isolation and analysis of less toxic mutant proteins. We could isolate 30 less toxic mutants of $P2X_4$ after hydroxylamine mutagenesis. Western blot showed that all of them produced proteins smaller than the wild type $P2X_4$. DNA sequencing of two largest mutant proteins showed that they were lost its second transmembrane domain. Localization analysis of these mutant proteins showed that they are not in cytoplasmic membrane, but in inclusion bodies. These data showed that inactive truncated $P2X_4$ is not toxic to E. coli and membrane integration and functionality of $P2X_4$ may be needed to show host toxicity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.499-503
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• 1989

Relatively little is known about the antigenic relatedness of the different developmental stages of Cryptosporidium. A monoclonal antibody (mAb), an IgG3, was produced against the Cryp-tosporidium merozoite stage by immunizing mice with merozoite preparation. This monoclonal was reacted with sporozoite antigens in Western blotting resulting in recognition of an epitope on a 3.5-kDa antigen. An immunoelectron microscopic technique was used to investigate the antigenic relatedness of Cryptosporidium Sporozoites and merozoites. Mouse intestine was fixed with 1 ％ glutaraldehyde and embedded in LR White. Thin sections were then sequentially treated with murine IgG3 mAb and anti-mouse IgG conjugated to 15-nm diameter colloidal gold. This mAb showed similar (sur-face/cytoplasmic) immunoelectron microsropic colloidal gold labeling patterns with sporozoites and merozoites, indicalting epitope sharing between these two stages. This information might be useful for identifying possible epitopes to which a vaccine could be developed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 1991

In order to secrete the Bacillus subtilis cytidine deaminase (CDase, cytidine/2'-deoxycytidine deaminase) encoded by the B. subtilis cdd gene in E. coli by the aid of signal sequences, the cdd gene was fused in-frame to either amyE or penP signal sequences and the gene expression and CDase localization were examined. For the penP signal sequence::cdd fusion, the cdd gene with 9 amino acids truncated from the 5'-terminus was fused in-frame to the signal sequence, then the $cdd^{+}$ colonies were not occurred from the minimal plate by cdd complementation. The result suggests that 9 amino acids on the $NH_2-terminal$ of CDase have an essential function in the enzyme activity. The hybrid protein obtained by fused gene amyE signal sequence::cdd structural gene gave $cdd^{+}$ phenotype and about half of the total CDase activity was found to be secreted in the periplasm of E. coli transformant JF611/pSO202. The periplasmic CDase activity of JF611 harboring pSO52 containing the intact cdd gene was considerablely lower than that of the cells harboring pSO202 carrying the hybrid cdd gene. This suggests that the CDase was secreted to the periplasm through the cytoplasmic membrane by the aid of the amyE signal sequence in the E. coli transformant.