• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) is a mitochondrial pro-apoptotic protein that has a single Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) domain and a COOH-terminal transmembrane (TM) domain. Although it belongs to the Bcl-2 family and can heterodimerize with Bcl-2, its pro-apoptotic activity is distinct from those of other members of the Bcl-2 family. For example, cell death mediated by BNIP3 is independent of caspases and shows several characteristics of necrosis. Furthermore, the TM domain, but not the BH3 domain, is required for dimerization, mitochondrial targeting and pro-apoptotic activity. BNIP3 plays an important role in hypoxia-induced death of normal and malignant cells. Its expression is markedly increased in the hypoxic regions of some solid tumors and appears to be regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which binds to a site on the BNIP3 promoter. Silencing, followed by methylation, of the BNIP3 gene occurs in a significant proportion of cancer cases, especially in pancreatic cancers. BNIP3 also has a role in the death of cardiac myocytes in ischemia. Further studies of BNIP3 should provide insight into hypoxic cell death and may contribute to improved treatment of cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.193-202
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• 2023

Influenza IAVs are encapsulated negative-strand RNA viruses that infect many bird species' respiratory systems and can spread to other animals, including humans. This work reanalyzed previous microarray datasets to identify common and specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in chickens, as well as their biological activities. There were 760 and 405 DEGs detected in HPAIV and LPAIV-infected chicken cells, respectively. HPAIV and LPAIV have 670 and 315 DEGs, respectively, with both viruses sharing 90 DEGs. Because of HPAIV infection, numerous genes were implicated in a fundamental biological function of the cell cycle, according to the functional annotation of DEGs. Of the targeted genes, expressions of CDC Like Kinase 3 (CLK3), Nucleic Acid Binding Protein 1 (NABP1), Interferon-Inducible Protein 6 (IFI6), PIN2 (TERF1) Interacting Telomerase Inhibitor 1 (PINX1), and Cellular Communication Network Factor 4 (WISP1) were altered in DF-1 cells treated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (PIC), a toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand, suggesting that transcription of these genes be controlled by TLR3 signaling. To gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of AIVs in chickens, it is crucial to focus more research on unraveling the mechanisms through which AIV infections may manipulate host responses during the infection process. Insights into these mechanisms could facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2001

A time-dependent folding process was used to determine whether or not protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) plays an important role in the maturation of nascent lactoferrin polypeptides. Interaction between lactoferrin and PDI was analyzed according to the co-immunoprecipitation of the two proteins. The results indicate that lactoferrin folding requires a significant interaction with PDI and its binding is relatively brief compared to other nascent polypeptides. The amount of lactoferrin interacting with PDI increases up to half a minute and sharply decreases beyond this time point. During the refolding process that follows reduction by DTT, lactoferrin polypeptides heavily interact with PDI and the interaction period was extended compared to the normal folding process. In terms of the temperature effect on PDI-lactoferrin interaction, PDI binds to lactoferrin polypeptides longer at a lower temperature (here, $25^{\circ}C$) than $37^{\circ}C$. The lactoferrin-PDI interaction was also studied in vitro. According to the in vitro experiment data, PDI was still functional in cell lysates assisting lactoferrin folding into the mature form. PDI interacts with lactoferrin polypeptides for an extended period during the folding in vitro. During the refolding process in vitro, intermolecular aggregates and refolding oligomers matured into a functional form after PDI binds to the lactoferrin. These results suggest that PDI provides a prolonged chaperoning activity in the refolding processes and that there appears to be a greater requirement for PDI chaperone activity in the refolding of lactoferrin polypeptides.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2005

The c-myc proto-oncogene encodes a nuclear protein that is deregulated and/or mutated in most human cancers. Acting primarily as an activator and sometimes as a repressor, MYC protein controls the synthesis of up to 10-15% of genes. The key MYC targets contributing to oncogenesis are incompletely enumerated and it is not known whether pathology arises from the expression of physiologic targets at abnormal levels or from the pathologic response of new target genes that are not normally regulated by MYC. Regardless of which, available evidence indicates that the level of MYC expression is an important determinant of MYC biology. The c-myc promoter has architectural and functional features that contribute to uniform expression and help to prevent or mitigate conditions that might otherwise create noisy expression. Those features include the use of an expanded proximal promoter, the averaging of input from dozens of transcription factors, and real-time feedback using the supercoil-deformable Far UpStream Element (FUSE) as physical sensor of ongoing transcriptional activity, and the FUSE binding protein (FBP) as well as the FBP interacting repressor (FIR) as effectors to enforce normal transcription from the c-myc promoter.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.11
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• pp.819-826
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• 2014

Protein modifications of recombinant pharmaceuticals have been observed both in vitro and in vivo. These modifications may result in lower efficacy, as well as bioavailability changes and antigenicity among the protein pharmaceuticals. Therefore, the contents of modification should be monitored for the quality and efficacy of protein pharmaceuticals. The interface of EPO and its receptor was visualized, and potential amino acids interacting on the interface were also listed. Two different types of modifications on the interface were identified in the preparation of rHu-EPO BRP. A UPLC/Q-TOF MS method was used to evaluate the modification at those variants. The modification of the oxidized variant was localized on the Met54 and the deamidated variants were localized on the Asn47 and Asn147. The extent of oxidation at Met54 was 3.0% and those of deamidation at Asn47 and Asn147 were 2.9% and 4.8%, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.541-550
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• 2003

E2 glycoprotein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) comprises a surface of viral particle together with E1 glycoprotein, and is thought to be involved in the attachment of HCV viral particle to receptor (s) on the permissible cells including hepatocytes, B cells, T cells, and monocytes. We constructed a phage library expressing cellular proteins of hepatocytes on the phage surface, which turned out to be 8.8${\times}$$10^5$ cfu of diversity and carried inserts in 95% of library. We screened both cDNA phage library and 12-mer peptide library to identify the cellular proteins binding to E2 protein. Some intracellular proteins including tensin and membrane band 4.1 which are involved in signal transduction of survival and cytoskeleton organization, were selected from cDNA phage library through several rounds of panning and screening. On the contrary, membrane proteins such as CCR7, CKR-L2, and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor were identified through screening of peptide library. Phages expressing peptides corresponding to those membrane proteins were bound to E2 protein specifically as determined by neutralization of binding assay. Since it is well known that HCV can infect T cells as well as hepatocytes, we examined to see if E2 protein can bind to CCR7, a member of C-protein coupled receptor family expressed on T cells, using CCR7 transfected tells. Human CCR7 cDNA was cloned into pcDNA3.1(-) vector and transfected into human embryonic kidney cell, 293T, and expressed on the surface of the cell as shown by flow cytometer. Binding assay of E2 protein using CCR7 transfected cells indicated that E2 protein bound to CCR7 by dose-dependent mode, giving rise to the possibility that CCR7 might be a putative cellular receptor for HCV.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1364-1367
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• 2008

Oxidative stress damages all cellular constituents, and therefore, cell has to possess various defense mechanisms to cope. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, widely used as a model organism for studying cellular responses to oxidative stress, contains three glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) proteins. Among them, Gpx3 plays a major defense role against oxidative stress in S. cerevisiae. In this study, in order to identity the new interaction proteins of Gpx3, we carried out two-dimensional gel electrophoresis after immunoprecipitation (IP-2DE), and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The results showed that several proteins including protein disulfide isomerase, glutaredoxin 2, and SSY protein 3 specifically interact with Gpx3. These findings led us to suggest the possibility that Gpx3, known as a redox sensor and ROS scavenger, has another functional role by interacting with several proteins with various cellular functions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.506-511
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• 2011

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase and that forms two multiprotein complexes known as the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). mTOR regulates cell growth, proliferation and survival. mTORC1 is composed of the mTOR catalytic subunit and three associated proteins: raptor, mLST8/$G{\beta}L$ and PRAS40. mTORC2 contains mTOR, rictor, mLST8/$G{\beta}L$, mSin1, and protor. Here, we discuss mTOR as a promising anti-ischemic agent. It is believed that mTORC2 lies down-stream of Akt and acts as a direct activator of Akt. The different functions of mTOR can be explained by the existence of two distinct mTOR complexes containing unique interacting proteins. The loss of TSC2, which is upstream of mTOR, activates S6K1, promotes cell growth and survival, activates mTOR kinase activities, inhibits mTORC1 and mTORC2 via mTOR inhibitors, and suppresses S6K1 and Akt. Although mTOR signaling pathways are often activated in human diseases, such as cancer, mTOR signaling pathways are deactivated in ischemic diseases. From Drosophila to humans, mTOR is necessary for Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt, and the regulation of Akt-mTOR signaling pathways may have a potential role in ischemic disease. This review evaluates the potential functions of mTOR in ischemic diseases. A novel mTOR-interacting protein deregulates over-expression in ischemic disease, representing a new mechanism for controlling mTOR signaling pathways and potential therapeutic strategies for ischemic diseases.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.13-29
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• 2006

Most redox-active proteins have thiol-bearing cysteine residues that are sensitive to oxidation. Cysteine thiols oxidized to sulfenic acid are generally unstable, either forming a disulfide with a nearby thiol or being further oxidized to a stable sulfinic acid, which have been viewed as an irreversible protein modification. However, recent studies showed that cysteine residues of certain thiol peroxidases (Prxs) undergo reversible oxidation to sulfinic acid and the reduction reaction is catalyzed by sulfiredoxin (Srx1). Specific Cys residues of various other proteins are also oxidized to sulfinic acid ($Cys-So_2H$). Srxl is considered one of the oxidant proteins with a role in signaling through catalytic reduction of oxidative modification like in the reduction of glutathionylation, a post-translational, oxidative modification that occurs on numerous proteins. In this study, the role of sulfiredoxin in cellular processes, was investigated by studying its interaction with other proteins. Through the yeast two-hybrid system (Y2HS) technique, we have found that Ams1 is a potential and novel interacting protein partner of Srxl. $\alpha$-mannosidase (Ams1) is a resident vacuolar hydrolase which aids in recycling macromolecular components of the cell through hydrolysis of terminal, non-reducing $\alpha$-D-mannose residues. It forms an oligomer in the cytoplasm and under nutrient rich condition and is delivered to the vacuole by the Cytoplasm to Vacuole (Cvt) pathway. Aside from the role of Srxl as a catalyst in the reduction of cysteine sulfenic acid groups, it may play a completely new function in the cellular process as indicated by its interaction with Ams1 of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.361-373
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• 2020

Integrins such as lymphocyte function-associated antigen -1 (LFA-1) have an essential role in T cell immunity. Integrin activation, namely, the transition from the inactive conformation to the active one, takes place when an intracellular signal is generated by specific receptors such as T cell receptors (TCRs) and chemokine receptors in T cells. In an effort to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the TCR-mediated LFA-1 activation, we had previously established a high-throughput cell-based assay and screened a chemical library deposited in the National Institute of Health in the United States. As a result, several hits had been isolated including HIKS-1 (Benzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxylic acid, 2-[3-[(2-carboxyphenyl) thio]-2,5-dioxo-1-pyrrolinyl]-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-,3-ethyl ester). In an attempt to reveal the mode of action of HIKS-1, in this study, we did drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay finding that HIKS-1 interacted with the IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1 (IQGAP1), a 189 kDa multidomain scaffold protein critically involved in various signaling mechanisms. Furthermore, the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) provided compelling evidence that HIKS-1 also interacted with IQGAP1 in vivo. Taken together, it can be concluded that HIKS-1 interferes with the TCR-mediated LFA-1 activation by interacting with IQGAP1 and thereby disrupting the signaling pathway for LFA-1 activation.