• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2012

This study investigated the distribution of endophytic fungi obtained from the surface sterilized tissues of leaves, stems and roots of chili pepper ($Capsicum$ $annuum$ L.) plants in seedling, flowering and fruiting stages in Korea and their antifungal activity. A total of 481 isolates were recovered and were identified using molecular techniques. Based on rDNA ITS gene sequence and phylogenetic analysis, 21 fungal genera were characterized, belonging to 16 Ascomycota and 5 Basidiomycota. $Penicillium$ in seedling stage, $Fusarium$ in flowering stage, $Colletotrichum$ followed by $Fusarium$, $Alternaria$ and $Xylaria$ in fruiting stage was predominant and $Alternaria$, $Cladosporium$ and $Fusarium$ were common in all growth stages. Among 481 endophytes 90 phenotypes were evaluated for the antimicrobial activity against three major pathogens ($Phytophthora$ $capsici$, $Colletotrichum$ $acutatum$ and $Fusarium$ $oxysporum$) of chili pepper. Among them 16 isolates inhibited the growth of at least one test microorganisms. Three strains showed a broad spectrum antifungal activity and displayed strong inhibition against chili pepper pathogenic fungi.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.46-49
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• 2016

MiRNA-155, upregulated in various cancers, is one of the miRNAs that suppress apoptosis of human cancer. Thus, inhibition of the maturation of miRNA-155 could be an effective way to induce apoptotic cancer cell death. The apical stem-loop of the pre-miRNA-155 has been known as a Dicer biding site for RNA cleavage. Here, to understand the molecular basis of the tertiary interaction between pre-miRNA-155 with Dicer, we characterize the structure of the apical stem-loop of pre-miRNA-155 using NMR spectroscopy. The RNA has a stem-bulge-stem-loop-stem structure, which is consist of G-C Watson-Crick and G-U Wobble base pairs. The assignments of imino- protons were further confirmed by 2D $^{15}N-^1H$ HSQC NMR spectrum. The NMR parameters obtained in this study can be further used to investigate the tertiary interaction between pre-miRNA-155 and other biomolecules such as protein, nucleic acids, or small chemicals which might be used to control the apoptosis of cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 1998

A bifunctional catalase-peroxidase, designated catalase-2, of a UV resistant Deinococcus radiophilus was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by both chromatographic and electrophoretic methods. Its molecular weight was 310 kDa and composed of a tetramer of 80 kDa subunits. The catalase-2 exerted its optimal activity at $30^{\circ}C$ and around pH 9. Its $K_m$ value for $H_{2}0_{2} $ was about 10 mM. It showed the typical ferric heme spectrum with maximum absorption at 403 nm which shifted to 419 nm in the presence of cyanide. The ratio of A40i' A2S0 was 0.48. Fifty percent inhibition of the enzyme activity was observed at $4.6{\times}10^{-6}$, $7.7{\times}10^{-6}$, and $3.0{\times}10^{-6}$ M of NaCN, $NaN_3$, and $NH_{2}OH$, respectively. The enzyme was thermostable and not sensitive to 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. Treatment of the enzyme with ethanol-chloroform caused a partial loss (30%) of its activity. The catalase-2 was distinct from the Deinococcal bifunctional catalase-3 in a number of properties, particularly in its molecular structure and substrate affinity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.457-458
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• 2016

Recent studies have strongly implicated postsynaptic scaffolding proteins such as SAPAP3 or Shank3 in the pathogenesis of various mood disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder (BD), and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Neural Abelson-related gene-binding protein 2 (nArgBP2) was originally identified as a protein that interacts with SAPAP3 and Shank3. Recent study shows that the genetic deletion of nArgBP2 in mice leads to manic/bipolar-like behavior resembling symptoms of BD. However, the function of nArgBP2 at synapse, or its connection with the synaptic dysfunctions, is completely unknown. This study provides compelling evidence that nArgBP2 regulates the spine morphogenesis through the activation of Rac1/WAVE/PAK/cofilin pathway, and that its ablation causes a robust and selective inhibition of excitatory synapse formation, by controlling actin dynamics. Our results revealed the underlying mechanism for the synaptic dysfunction caused by nArgBP2 downregulation that associates with analogous human BD. Moreover, since nArgBP2 interacts with key proteins involved in various neuropsychiatric disorders, our finding implies that nArgBP2 could function as a hub linking various etiological factors of different mood disorders.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.305-315
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• 1994

Nineteen strains of bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria were isolated from 432 Kimchi samples, and identified by the comprehensive biochemical and morphological tests verifying their cellular fatty acid composition. Using partially purified bacteriocins from these isolates, their inhibitory activities against other lactic acid bacteria and some pathogens, and sensitivity to enzyme and heat treatments were tested. The isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum (2 strains), L curvatus (2 starins), L brevis (2 strains), Enterococcus faecium (6 strains), Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (1 strain) and Lactobacillus sp. (6 strains). The bacteriocins produced by E. faecium strains provided the broadest spectrum of inhibition, affecting against other Gram-positive bacteria including lactic acid bacteria and health-threatening bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteriocins of Lactobacillus sp., L plantarum and L brevis strains were capable of inhibiting many strains of the lactic acid bacteria, whereas those of L curvatus and L mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides strains were only inhibitory to a few strains. Generally, the inhibitory activities of both E. faecium and Lactobacillus sp. strains were greater than those of other producer strains. The bacteriocins from the isolates were sensitive to several proteolytic enzymes, and those of L curvatus and L mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides were also sensitive to lipase and $\alpha$-amylase as well as to proteolytic enzymes. The bacteriocins from the strains of Lactobacillus sp. and a strain of L. brevis were resistant to autoclaving.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.50-60
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• 2002

Objectives: Sunghyangjunggisan (SHJS) is a commonly prescribed drug with a wide neuropharmacological spectrum. The water extracts of SHJS were found to be protective against neurotoxicity elicited by deprivation of serum and glucose. Methods: The morphological examination and Hoechst staining of nucleus also clearly showed that the extracts attenuated the cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, representing typical neuronal apoptotic phenomena and nucleosome-sized fragmentation under the microscope in PC 12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. Results: Activation of protein kinase A (PKA) with dibutyl-cAMP and forskolin also protected during glucose deprivation, although it was not additive with the effect provided by phorbol ester. Interestingly, treatment with the protein kinase A inhibitor, KT5720, was not neuroprotective in the presence of SHJS. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to characterize the neuroprotective binding of nuclear proteins to consensus sequences for AP-l, nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) after glucose deprivation. When PC 12 cells are induced to undergo apoptosis by serum deprivation, AP-l and $NF-{\kappa}B$ DNA binding activity transiently increases to a slight degree. This stimulation is blocked by the water extracts of SHJS. The site of action of the drugs appeared to involve specific inhibition of AP-1 and nuclear factor kB binding activity. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggested the possibility that the extracts of SHJS might provide a neurotrophic-like activity in PC 12 cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.184-188
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• 2013

In the continued search for inhibitors of enoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase, we found that four acylbenzenediol sulfate metabolites from Streptomyces sp. AN1761 potently inhibited bacterial enoyl-ACP reductases of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Their structures were identified as panosialins A, B, wA, and wB by MS and NMR data. They showed stronger inhibition against S. aureus FabI and S. pneumoniae FabK with $IC_{50}$ of 3-5 ${\mu}M$ than M. tuberculosis InhA with $IC_{50}$ of 9-12 ${\mu}M$. They also exhibited a stronger antibacterial spectrum on S. aureus and S. pneumoniae than M. tuberculosis. In addition, the higher inhibitory activity of panosialin wB than panosialin B on fatty acid biosynthesis was consistent with that on bacterial growth, suggesting that they could exert their antibacterial activity by inhibiting fatty acid synthesis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1043-1046
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• 2009

Human protein tyrosine kinase-6 (PTK6) is a member of the non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase family and it is found in two-thirds of all breast tumors. Very recently, we proposed that the SH3 domain of PTK6 interacts with the linker region (Linker) between the SH2 and kinase domains, proving that the interaction between SH3 domain and Linker plays an important role in auto-inhibition mechanism. Residues from 1 to 191 corresponding region of SH3-SH2-Linker (SH32L) of PTK6 was cloned into the pET32a expression vector with Tobbaco etch virus (TEV) protease enzyme site by sequence homology and 3D structural model. The purified PTK6-SH32L was determined as a monomer conformation in solution. The amide proton resonances in the $^{15}N-^{1}H$ 2D-HSQC spectrum suggest that PTK6-SH32L possesses disordered structural region of the flexible/unstructured linker region. In addition, the backbone amide proton chemical shifts of the SH3 domain in the PTK6-SH32L differ from that of the independent domain, indicating that intra-molecular interaction between SH3 and Linker in the PTK6-SH32L is present.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2004

We identified apoptosis as being a significant mechanism of toxicity following the exposure of HeLa cell cultures to abrin holotoxin, which is in addition to its inhibition of protein biosynthesis by N-glycosidase activity. The treatment of HeLa cell cultures with abrin resulted in apoptotic cell death, as characterized by morphological and biochemical changes, i.e., cell shrinkage, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, the occurrence of hypodiploid DNA, chromatin condensation, nuclear breakdown, DNA single strand breaks by TUNEL assay, and phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization. This apoptotic cell death was accompanied by caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, as indicated by the cleavage of caspase substrates, which was preceded by mitochondrial cytochrome c release. The broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (zVAD-fmk), prevented abrin-triggered caspase activation and partially abolished apoptotic cell death, but did not affect mitochondrial cytochrome c release. These results suggest that the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, and the sequential caspase-9 and caspase-3 activations are important events in the signal transduction pathway of abrin-induced apoptotic cell death in the HeLa cell line.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.3684-3692
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• 2010

A series of azole-containing piperazine derivatives have been designed and synthesized. The obtained compounds were investigated in vitro for their antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities. The preliminary results showed that most compounds exhibited moderate to significant antibacterial and antifungal activities in vitro. 1-(4-((4-chlorophenyl) (phenyl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanone and 1-(4-((4-Chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)-2-(2-phenyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanone gave remarkable and broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against all tested strains with MIC values ranging from 3.1 to $25\;{\mu}g/mL$, and exhibited comparable activities to the standard drugs chloramphenicol and fluconazole in clinic. Moreover, 2-((4-((4-chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole was found to be the most effective in vitro against the PC-3 cell line, reaching growth inhibition values (36.4, 60.1 and 76.5%) for each tested concentration: $25\;{\mu}g/mL$, $50\;{\mu}g/mL$ and $100\;{\mu}g/mL$ in dose-dependent manner. The results also showed that the azole ring had noticeable effect on their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, and imidazole and benzimidazole moiety were much more favourable to biological activity than 1,2,4-triazole.