• 한국자기공명학회논문지
• /
• 제2권2호
• /
• pp.85-105
• /
• 1998

Prions cause neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. The scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) is the major-possibly only-component of the infectious prion and is generated from the cellular isoform (PrPC) by a conformational change. Limited proteolysis of PrPSc produces an polypeptide comprised primarily of residues 90 to 231, which retains infectivity. The three-dimensional structure of rPrP(90-231), a recombinant protein resembling PrPC with the Syrian hamster (SHa) sequence, was solved using multidimensional NMR. Low-resolution structures of rPrP(90-231), synthetic peptides up to 56 residues, a longer (29-231, full-length) protein with SHa sequence, and a short here further structure refinement of rPrP(90-231) and dynamic features of the protein. Consideration of these features in the context of published data suggests regions of conformational heterogeneity, structural elements involved in the PrPC\longrightarrowPrPSc transformation, and possible structural features related to a species barrier to transmission of prion diseases.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제34권6호
• /
• pp.496-501
• /
• 2001

Lincomycin, an inhibitor of plastid protein synthesis, was found to block the synthesis of apoprotein P700 with a molecular mass of 72 kDa and the assembly of the Chl a-protein of PS I. Synthesis of the polypeptides of 48, 43.5, and 32 kDa of the PS II complex is also suppressed. This process is accompanied by the disappearance of the PS Two reaction center Chl a at 683 nm, and of the PS One reaction center Chl a at 690, 696, and 705 nm on the fourth derivative of the absorption spectra at 77K. Lincomycin does not affect the synthesis of LHC subunits. It increases the content of the two main Chl forms of LHC at 648 nm (Chl b) and 676 nm (Chl a). The low-temperature fluorescence ratio F736/F685 is also increased. However, the effect of cycloheximide (an inhibitor of cytoplasmic protein synthesis) leads to the reduction of polypeptides of the light-harvesting Chl a/b-protein complex in the range of 29.5-22 kDa. Under these conditions, the relative amount of Chl b and the F736/ F685 fluorescence ratio decrease significantly. This is obviously the result of blocking the LHC I and LHC II synthesis. At the same time rifampicin and actinomycin D (inhibitors which block transcription in chloroplast and nuclear genome, respectively) inessentially affect the characteristics of these complexes.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제51권5호
• /
• pp.242-248
• /
• 2018

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) show great promise for replacing current stem cell therapies in the field of regenerative medicine. However, the original method for cellular reprogramming, involving four exogenous transcription factors, is characterized by low efficiency. Here, we focused on using epigenetic modifications to enhance the reprogramming efficiency. We hypothesized that there would be a new reprogramming factor involved in DNA demethylation, acting on the promoters of pluripotency-related genes. We screened proteins that bind to the methylated promoter of Oct4 and identified Zinc finger protein 127 (Zfp127), the functions of which have not yet been identified. We found that Zfp127 binds to the Oct4 promoter. Overexpression of Zfp127 in fibroblasts induced demethylation of the Oct4 promoter, thus enhancing Oct4 promoter activity and gene expression. These results demonstrate that Zfp127 is a novel regulator of Oct4, and may become a potent target to improve cellular reprogramming.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제23권4호
• /
• pp.267-282
• /
• 2000

Cytochrome P45O (CYP) 2E1 catalyzes the metabolism of a wide variety of therapeutic agents, procarcinogens, and low molecular weight solvents. CYP2E1-catalyzed metabolism may cause toxicity or DNA damage through the production of toxic metabolites, oxygen radicals, and lipid peroxidation. CYP2E1 also plays a role in the metabolism of endogenous compounds including fatty acids and ketone bodies. The regulation of CYP2E1 expression is complex, and involves transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms. CYP2E1 is transcriptionally activated in the first few hours after birth. Xenobiotic inducers elevate CYP2E1 protein levels through both increased translational efficiency and stabilization of the protein from degradation, which appears to occur primarily through ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. CYP2E1 mRNA and protein levels are altered in response to pathophysiologic conditions by hormones including insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, and leptin, and growth factors including epidermal growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, providing evidence that CYP2E1 expression is under tight homeostatic control.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제14권4호
• /
• pp.715-721
• /
• 2004

Many food protein hydrolysates have been shown to have antioxidant activities, and recent research focuses on low molecular peptides produced during hydrolysis of food protein. Korean rice wine contains about 60-70% of protein at dry base and originates from raw materials. It has been suggested that the protein is transformed into low molecular weight peptides, and have antioxidant activity during fermentation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the pre-purified and purified peptides found in Korean rice wine and to identify the responsible peptides. The wine extract of Samhaeju, a traditional Korean rice wine made by low temperature fermentation, was evaporated at $35^{\circ}C$. The two methods employed in the evaluation of antioxidant activity were the DPPH radical scavenging method and the beta-carotene bleaching test. The pre-purified samples showed 808 AAC (Antioxidant Activity Coefficient) and 56.5% AOA (Antioxidant Activity), which were higher than $\alpha$-tocopherol (572 AAC and 78% AOA). The rice wine extract was separated by reversed-phase HPLC. The protective effect of the four most antioxidant active fractions were tested for t-butyl hydroperoxide induced oxidation of healthy human erythrocytes and the byproduct was determined by malondialdehyde formation. Fraction No.5 showed 35% lower MDA concentration as compared to the control. The peptides were further purified using consecutive chromatographic methods and 4 antioxidant peptides were isolated. The amino acid sequences of the peptides were identified as Ile-His-His, Val- Val-His(Asn), Leu-Val-Pro, and Leu(Val)-Lys-Arg-Pro. The AAC value of the synthetic form of the identified peptides was the highest for Ile-His-His.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• 제60권1호
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2022

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by infection with E. multilocularis metacestode, represents one of the most fatal helminthic diseases. AE is principally manifested with infiltrative, proliferating hepatic mass, resembling primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Sometimes metastatic lesions are found in nearby or remote tissue. AE diagnosis largely depends on imaging studies, but atypical findings of imaging features frequently require differential diagnosis from other hepatic lesions. Serological tests may provide further evidence, while obtaining reliable AE materials is not easy. In this study, alternative antigens, specific to AE were identified by analyzing E. granulosus protoscolex proteins. An immunoblot analysis of E. granulosus protoscolex showed that a group of low-molecular-weight proteins in the range from 14 kDa to 16 kDa exhibited a sensitive and specific immune response to AE patient sera. Partial purification and proteomic analysis indicated that this protein group contained myosin, tubulin polymerization promoting protein, fatty-acid binding protein, uncharacterized DM9, heat shock protein 90 cochaperone tebp P-23, and antigen S. When the serological applicability of recombinant forms of these proteins was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DM9 protein (rEgDM9) showed 90.1% sensitivity (73/81 sera tested) and 94.5% specificity (172/181 sera tested), respectively. rEgDM9 showed weak cross-reactions with patient sera from the transitional and chronic stages of cystic echinococcosis (3 to 5 stages). rEgDM9 would serve as a useful alternative antigen for serodiagnosis of both early- and advanced-stage AE cases.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국생물공학회 2002년도 생물공학의 동향 (X)
• /
• pp.62-65
• /
• 2002

We have previously shown that the addition of silkworm hemolymph to a culture medium increases the longevity of insect and mammalian cells by inhibiting apoptosis. This indicates that the component which inhibits apoptosis is contained in the silkworm hemolymph, The apoptosis-inhibiting component was isolated from silkwonn hemolymph and characterized in our previous study. A database search using the N-terminal amino acid sequence of this component as a template resulted in a 95% homology with a low molecular weight lipoprotein, the so called ’30K protein' of unknown function. In this study, the 30K protein gene was expressed in mammalian and insect cells to confirm the apoptosis-inhibiting effect. The overexpression of 30K protein in mammalian cell inhibited the staurosporin-induced apoptosis by the prevention of the activation of caspase 3. Using an Autographa californicanuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) system, the 30K protein was overexpressed also in insect cells. The expression of the 30K protein increased the longevity of baculovirus-infected insect cells by inhibiting apoptosis. These results suggest that the 30K protein is a novel anti-apoptotic protein.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• 제8권2호
• /
• pp.105-109
• /
• 2004

Aminoalcoholphosphotransferase catalyzes the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine from diacylglycerol plus a CDP-aminoalcohol such as CDP-choline or CDP-ethanolamine. Previously we suggested the presence of possible isoforms of this enzyme from Chinese cabbage roots and now report the cDNA cloning and expression analysis of AAPT3 encoding a third isoform of aminoalcoholphosphotransferase (AAPT3). AAPT3 contains an open reading frame of 1,176 bp coding for a protein of 392 amino acids. It shares 96 and 95% identity with Chinese cabbage AAPT1 and AAPT2, respectively, at the deduced amino acid level. The results from reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis indicate that expression of AAPT3 is up-regulated by low temperature as well as AAPT1 and AAPT2.

• 한국유가공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국유가공기술과힉회 2007년도 추계학술발표대회
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 2007

An understanding functional properties and molecular interactions of milk proteins was critical to improve qualities of fermented dairy products including yogurts and cheeses. Extensive rearrangements of casein particles were important factors to enhance whey separation in yogurt gel network. The use of high hydrostatic pressure treated whey protein as an ingredient of low fat processed cheese food resulted in the production of low fat processed cheese food with acceptable firmness and enhanced meltabilities. Milk protein-based nano particles produced by self-association of proteins could be better nutrient delivery vehicle than micro particle since particle size reduction in nano particles could lead to increased residence time and surface area available in GI tract.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권11호
• /
• pp.6315-6319
• /
• 2013

To study the differentiated expression of the proto-oncogene Pokemon in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and tissues, mRNA and protein expression levels of CNE1, CNE2, CNE3 and C666-1 were detected separately by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time PCR and Western-blotting. The immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69 was used as a control. The Pokemon protein expression level in biopsy specimens from chronic rhinitis patients and undifferentiated non keratinizing NPC patients was determined by Western-blotting and arranged from high to low: C666-1>CNE1>CNE2> CNE3>NP69. The Pokemon mRNA expression level was also arranged from high to low: CNE1>CNE2>NP69>C666-1>CNE3. Pokemon expression of NP69 and C666-1 obviously varied from mRNA to protein. The Pokemon protein level of NPC biopsy specimens was obviously higher than in chronic rhinitis. The data suggest that high Pokemon protein expression is closely associated with undifferentiated non-keratinizing NPC and may provide useful information for NPC molecular target therapy.