• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.45-52
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• 2017

Calcium has versatile roles in diverse physiological functions. Among these functions, intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ plays a key role during the secretion of salivary glands. In this review, we introduce the diverse cellular components involved in the saliva secretion and related dynamic intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals. Calcium acts as a critical second messenger for channel activation, protein translocation, and volume regulation, which are essential events for achieving the salivary secretion. In the secretory process, $Ca^{2+}$ activates $K^+$ and $Cl^-$ channels to transport water and electrolyte constituting whole saliva. We also focus on the $Ca^{2+}$ signals from intracellular stores with discussion about detailed molecular mechanism underlying the generation of characteristic $Ca^{2+}$ patterns. In particular, inositol triphosphate signal is a main trigger for inducing $Ca^{2+}$ signals required for the salivary gland functions. The biphasic response of inositol triphosphate receptor and $Ca^{2+}$ pumps generate a self-limiting pattern of $Ca^{2+}$ efflux, resulting in $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations. The regenerative $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations have been detected in salivary gland cells, but the exact mechanism and function of the signals need to be elucidated. In future, we expect that further investigations will be performed toward better understanding of the spatiotemporal role of $Ca^{2+}$ signals in regulating salivary secretion.

• BMB Reports
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2017

The tubby protein (Tub), a putative transcription factor, plays important roles in the maintenance and function of neuronal cells. A splicing defect-causing mutation in the 3'-end of the tubby gene, which is predicted to disrupt the carboxy-terminal region of the Tub protein, causes maturity-onset obesity, blindness, and deafness in mice. Although this pathological Tub mutation leads to a loss of function, the precise mechanism has not yet been investigated. Here, we found that the mutant Tub proteins were mostly localized to puncta found in the perinuclear region and that the C-terminus was important for its solubility. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that puncta of mutant Tub co-localized with the aggresome. Moreover, whereas wild-type Tub was translocated to the nucleus by extracellular signaling, the mutant forms failed to undergo such translocation. Taken together, our results suggest that the malfunctions of the Tub mutant are caused by its misfolding and subsequent localization to aggresomes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.49-55
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• 2009

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection causes fulminant hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of HDV pathogenesis, we examined the effects of HDV viral proteins, the small hepatitis delta antigen (SHDAg) and the large hepatitis delta antigen (LHDAg), on $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. In this study, we demonstrated that $TNF-{\alpha}-induced$ $NF-{\kappa}B$ transcriptional activation was increased by LHDAg but not by SHDAg in both HEK293 and Huh7 cells. Furthermore, LHDAg promoted TRAF2-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. Using coimmunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrated that both SHDAg and LHDAg interacted with TRAF2 protein. We showed that isoprenylation of LHDAg was not required for the increase of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity. We further showed that only LHDAg but not SHDAg increased the $TNF-{\alpha}-mediated$ nuclear translocation of p65. This was accomplished by activation of $I{\kappa}B_{\alpha}$ degradation by LHDAg. Finally, we demonstrated that LHDAg augmented the COX-2 expression level in Huh7 cells. These data suggest that LHDAg modulates $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway and may contribute to HDV pathogenesis.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.678-686
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• 1995

SecY is a central component of the protein export machinery that mediate the translocation of secretory proteins across the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. In order to study the mechanism of protein secretion in Streptomyces, we have done cloning and sequencing of the Streptomyces coelicolor secY gene by using polymerase chain reaction method. The nucleotide sequence of the gene for SecY from S. coelicolor showed over 58% identity to that of M. luteus. The deduced amino acid sequences were highly homologous to those of other known SecY polypeptides, all having the potential to form 10 transmembrane segments, and especially second, fifth, and tenth segments were particularly conserved, sharing greater than 75% identity with W. lute s SecY. We propose that the conserved membrane-spanning segments actively participate in protein export. In B. subtilis and E. coli, the secY gene is a part of the spc operon, is preceded by the gene coding for ribosomal protein L15, and is likety coupled transcriptionally and translationally to the upstream L15 gene. In the other hand, secY gene of S. coelicolor and M. luteus have its own promoter region, are coupled translationally with adk gene and pr sented in adk operon.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.101-106
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• 2004

This work aims at examining the cellular uptake behavior of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles derivatized with a protein transduction domain (PTD) using HeLa cells. For this purpose, $Tat_{49-57}$ peptide derived from transcriptional activation (Tat) protein of HIV type-1 was covalently conjugated to the terminal end of PLGA. Nanoparticles were ten prepared with the $Tat_{49-57}-PLGA$ conjugates by a spontaneous phase inversion method. The prepared particles had a mean diameter of ca. 84 nm, as measured by dynamic light scattering. The interaction of the Tat-PLGA nanoparticles with cells was examined by using confocal laser scanning microscopy. It was found tat Tat-PLGA nanoparticles incubated with HeLa cells could efficiently translocate into cytoplasm, while plain PLGA nanoparticles showed negligible cellular uptake. In addition, even at $4^{\circ}C$ or in the presence of sodium azide significant cellular internalization of Tat-PLGA nanoparticles was still observed. These results indicate that a non-endocytotic translocation mechanism might be involved in the cellular uptake of Tat-PLGA nanoparticles.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2005년도 제17회 워크샵 및 추계학술대회
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• pp.631-633
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• 2005

For biohydrogen production, hydrogenase is a key enzyme. In the present work we performed search of [NiFe]-hydrogenases from hydrogen producing microorganisms using degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy. Degenerate primers were designed from the conserved region of [NiFe]-hydrogenase group I especially on structural genes encoding for catalytic subunit of [NiFe]-hydrogenase from bacteria producing hydrogen. Most of [NiFe]-hydrogenase (group I) are expressed via complex mechanism with aid of auxiliary protein and localized through twin-arginine translocation pathway. [NiFe]-hydrogenase is composed of large and small subunits for catalytic activity. It is known that only small subunit has signal peptide for periplasmic localization and large & small subunitscome together before localization. During this process, large subunit is treated by endopeptidase for maturation. Based on these information we used signal peptide sequence and C-terminal of large subunit by recognized by endopeptidase as templates for degenerate primers. About 2,900 bp of PCR products were successfully amplified using the designed degenerate primers from genomic DNAs of several microorganisms. The amplified PCR products were inserted into T-vector and then sequenced to confirm.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.23-30
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• 2006

Among poly aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin and PCBs are the most controversial environmental pollutants in our modern life. These pollutants are known as human carcinogens, and liver is the most sensitive target in animal cancer models. Specific aims of the study were focused on the mechanism of carcinogenesis in hepatocytes and the structure-activity relation among these diverse environmental chemicals. Because key mechanisms of dioxin-induced carcinogenesis in human epithelial cell model are the alteration of signal transduction pathway and PKC isoforms, the alteration of the signal transduction pathways and other factors associated with carcinogenesis were studied. Rat hepatocytes cultured under the sandwich protocols were exposed with the various concentration of dioxins and PCBs, and signal transduction pathway, protein kinase C isoforms, oxidant stress, and apoptotic nuclei were evaluated. Since it is important to understand the structure-activity relation among these chemicals to properly assess the carcinogenic potentials, the study analyzed the parameters associated with carcinogenic processes, based on their structural characteristics. In addition, signal transduction pathways and PKC isoforms involved in inhibition of UV-induced apoptosis were also analyzed to elaborate the tumor promotion mechanism of these chemicals. Induction of apoptosis by UV irradiation was optimal at $60\;J/m^2$ in primary hepatocyte in culture. Compared to non coplanar PCBs such as PCB 114 and PCB 153, coplanar PCBs such as PCB 77 and PCB126 showed a stronger inhibition of apoptosis induced by UV irradiation. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was more stimulated by non-coplanar PCBs than coplanar PCBs with the most potent induction of ROS by chlorinated non-coplanar PCB. As compared to the level of induction by PCB126, non-coplanar PCB153 showed a higher increase of intracellular concentrations. Besides the alteration of intracellular calcium concentration, translocation of PKC from cytosolic fraction to membrane fraction was clearly observed upon the exposure of non-coplanar PCB. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that there is a potent structure-activity relationship among PCB congeners and the mechanism of PAH-induced carcinogenesis is structure-specific. The study suggested that more diverse pathways of PAH-induced carcinogenesis should be taken into account beyond the boundary of Ah receptor dogma to assess the health impact of PAH with more accuracy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.431-437
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• 2011

Aberrant activation of microglia has been reported to cause neuronal damages by releasing a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Besides where microglia become active, damages have been also observed in remote places, which is considered due to the migration of activated microglia. Therefore, an agent that could suppress abnormal activation of microglia and their subsequent migration might be valuable in activated microglia-related brain pathologies. The objective of the present study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects of betulinic acid on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Pretreatment of betulinic acid significantly attenuated LPS-induced NO production and protein expression of iNOS. Betulinic acid also significantly suppressed LPS-induced release and expression of cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$. Furthermore, betulinic acid significantly uppressed LPS-induced MMP-9 expression, which has been suggested to play an important role in the migration of activated microglia. In order to understand the possible mechanism by which betulinic acid suppresses LPS-induced cytokine production and migration of microglia, the role of NF-kB, a major pro-inflammatory transcription factor, was examined. Betulinic acid significantly suppressed LPS-induced degradation of IKB, which retains NF-kB in the cytoplasm. Therefore, nuclear translocation of NF-kB upon LPS stimulation was significantly suppressed with betulinic acid. Taken together, the present study for the first time demonstrates that betulinic acid possesses anti-inflammatory activity through the suppression of nuclear translocation of NF-kB in BV2 microglial cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.102-108
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• 2002

Background: This study was aimed to differentiate two forms of CTLA-4 (CD152) in activated peripheral blood lymphocyte and clarify the mechanism how cytoplasmic form of this molecule is targeted to cell surface. Methods: For this purpose we generated 2 different anti-human CD152 peptide antibodies and 5 different N'-terminal deletion mutant CTLA4Ig fusion proteins and carried out a series of Western blot and ELISA analyses. Antipeptide antibodies made in this study were anti-CTLA4pB and anti-CTLA4pN. The former recognized a region on extracellular single V-like domain and the latter recognized N'-terminal sequence of leader domain of human CD152. Results: In Western blot, the former antibody recognized recombinant human CTLA4Ig fusion protein as an antigen. And this recognition was completely blocked by preincubating antipeptide antibody with the peptide used for the antibody generation at the peptide concentration of 200 ug/ml. These antibodies were recognized human CD152 as a cytoplasmic sequestered- and a membrane bound- forms in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL). These two forms of CD152 were further differentiated by using anti-CTLA4pN and anti-CTLA4pB antibodies such that former recognized cytosolic form only while latter recognized both cytoplasmic- and membraneforms of this molecule. Furthermore, in a transfection expression study of 5 different N'-terminal deletion mutant CTLA4Ig, mutated proteins were secreted out from transfected cell surface only when more than 6 amino acids from N'-terminal were deleted. Conclusion: Our results implies that cytosolic form of CTLA-4 has leader sequence while membrane form of this molecule does not. And also suggested is that at least N'-terminal 6 amino acid residues of human CTLA-4 are required for regulation of targeting this molecule from cytosolic- to membrane- area of activated human peripheral blood T lymphocyte.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제36권9호
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• pp.666-673
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• 2003

폐암의 주된 원인으로 알려진 흡연은 그 악성세포 발현기전이 아직 정확히 규명된 바 없다. 이에 저자들은 흡연에 의한 발암성의 지표로 흡연 중에 특이적으로 존재하는 강력한 발암물질인 NNK(4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone)를 이용하여 흡연에 따른 폐암의 발생과 그 Protein kinase C (PKC) isoform과 관련된 기전에 관한 연구를 시도하였다. 대상 및 방법: 인체 상피세포를 NNK에 노출시킨 후 saturation density, soft agar colony formation, cell aggregation 및 foci의 출현 등의 양상을 파악하여 세포 발암성 여부를 관찰하였으며 NNK를 15분간 노출시킨 후 PKC의 변화는 세포 내 PKC isoform의 양을 cytosolic fraction과 membrane fraction으로 분리하여 측정하여 분석하였다. 결과: NNK 투여군에서 saturation density, soft agar colony formation, cell aggregation 및 foci의 출현 시기 등의 세포 발암성을 뚜렷이 나타내었으며 PKC isoform분석의 경우 PKC-$\alpha$의 membrane fraction의 뚜렷한 증가를 보였으며 이러한 활성은 용량-의존적인 형태를 유지하였다. PKC-$\varepsilon$은 NNK 처리 시 용량-의존적으로 cytosol fraction의 감소 및 membrane fraction의 증가를 뚜렷하게 보였고 NNK에 의한 PKC-λ의 변화는 감지되지 않았다. 결론: 본 연구는 화학적 발암물질인 NNK가 인체발암화에 관여함을 재차 확인하면서 초기 과정에 관여하는 PKC isoform의 변화를 분석함으로써 total PKC활성이 아닌 isoform 각각에 대한 변화를 확인하였다는 점에서 앞으로 인체상피세포 기원의 폐암 생성 기전 연구에 기여할 것으로 생각한다.