• BMB Reports
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.381-385
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• 2005

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infectious disease associated with a novel coronavirus (CoV) that was identified and molecularly characterized in 2003. Previous studies on various coronaviruses indicate that protein-protein interactions amongst various coronavirus proteins are critical for viral assembly and morphogenesis. It is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanism of SARS-CoV replication and rationalize the anti-SARS therapeutic intervention. In this study, we employed an in vitro GST pull-down assay to investigate the interaction between the membrane (M) and the nucleocapsid (N) proteins. Our results show that the interaction between the M and N proteins does take place in vitro. Moreover, we provide an evidence that 12 amino acids domain (194-205) in the M protein is responsible for binding to N protein. Our work will help shed light on the molecular mechanism of the virus assembly and provide valuable information pertaining to rationalization of future anti-viral strategies.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.9-14
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• 2015

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is a major pathogen in laboratory mice that usually leads to fatal diseases, such as hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, and respiratory disease. MHV has a high infection rate, and it needs to be detected as soon as possible to prevent its spread to other facilities. However, MHV detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) often gives false positives; thus, it is very important that the results are confirmed as true positives in the early infection stage or distinguished as false positives with more accurate, reliable methods. Under microbiological screening, MHV ELISA-positive mice were found in four GFP-tagging transgenic mice. To verify the detection of the MHV antigen directly, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed, and the mice were determined to be MHV negative. Additional serum antibody-based screening was conducted with three different ELISA kits, and multiplexed fluorometric immunoassay (MFIA) was performed to confirm their accuracy/sensitivity. In brief, the ELISA kit for A59 nucleocapsid protein (MHV-A59N) revealed MHV ELISA positivity, while other ELISA kits (MHV-S lysate and MHV-JHM lysate) demonstrated MHV negativity. In MFIA, only the test for the recombinant A59 nucleocapsid antigen was MHV positive, which was consistent with the ELISA results. These results suggest that the ELISA kit with the recombinant A59 nucleocapsid antigen might induce non-specific MHV ELISA positivity and that confirmation is therefore essential.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.43.1-43.13
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• 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease and had caused havoc throughout the world by creating widespread mortality and morbidity. The unavailability of vaccines and proper antiviral drugs encourages the researchers to identify potential antiviral drugs to be used against the virus. The presence of RNA binding domain in the nucleocapsid (N) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could be a potential drug target, which serves multiple critical functions during the viral life cycle, especially the viral replication. Since vaccine development might take some time, the identification of a drug compound targeting viral replication might offer a solution for treatment. The study analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of N protein sequence divergence with other 49 coronavirus species and also identified the conserved regions according to protein families through conserved domain search. Good structural binding affinities of a few natural and/or synthetic phytocompounds or drugs against N protein were determined using the molecular docking approaches. The analyzed compounds presented the higher numbers of hydrogen bonds of selected chemicals supporting the drug-ability of these compounds. Among them, the established antiviral drug glycyrrhizic acid and the phytochemical theaflavin can be considered as possible drug compounds against target N protein of SARS-CoV-2 as they showed lower binding affinities. The findings of this study might lead to the development of a drug for the SARS-CoV-2 mediated disease and offer solution to treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.427-434
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• 2022

The drug repurposing strategy has been applied to the development of emergency COVID-19 therapeutic medicines. Current drug repurposing approaches have been directed against RNA polymerases and viral proteases. Recently, we found that the inhibition of the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 structural nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins decreased viral replication. In this study, drug repurposing candidates were screened by in silico molecular docking simulation with the SARS-CoV-2 structural N protein. In the ChEMBL database, 1994 FDA-approved drugs were selected for the in silico virtual screening against the N terminal domain (NTD) of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. The tyrosine 109 residue in the NTD of the N protein was used as the center of the ligand binding grid for the docking simulation. In plaque forming assays performed with SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells, atovaquone, abiraterone acetate, and digoxin exhibited a tendency to reduce the size of the viral plagues without affecting the plaque numbers. Abiraterone acetate significantly decreased the accumulation of viral particles in the cell culture supernatants in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, abiraterone acetate significantly decreased the production of N protein and S protein in the SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells. In conclusion, abiraterone acetate has therapeutic potential to inhibit the viral replication of SARS-CoV-2.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제45권12호
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• pp.911-922
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• 2022

A structural protein of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), nucleocapsid (N) protein is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 on the serine/arginine (SR) rich motif located in disordered regions. Although phosphorylation by GSK-3β constitutes a critical event for viral replication, the molecular mechanism underlying N phosphorylation is not well understood. In this study, we found the putative alpha-helix L/FxxxL/AxxRL motif known as the GSK-3 interacting domain (GID), found in many endogenous GSK-3β binding proteins, such as Axins, FRATs, WWOX, and GSKIP. Indeed, N interacts with GSK-3β similarly to Axin, and Leu to Glu substitution of the GID abolished the interaction, with loss of N phosphorylation. The N phosphorylation is also required for its structural loading in a virus-like particle (VLP). Compared to other coronaviruses, N of Sarbecovirus lineage including bat RaTG13 harbors a CDK1-primed phosphorylation site and Gly-rich linker for enhanced phosphorylation by GSK-3β. Furthermore, we found that the S202R mutant found in Delta and R203K/G204R mutant found in the Omicron variant allow increased abundance and hyper-phosphorylation of N. Our observations suggest that GID and mutations for increased phosphorylation in N may have contributed to the evolution of variants.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.287-292
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• 2009

돼지생식기호흡기증후군 바이러스를 구성하고 있는 뉴클레오캡시드(N) 단백질은 다양한 기능을 가지고 있는 basic 단백질로써 또한 아직까지 밝혀지지 않은 역할을 하는 serine 인산화 단백질로 알려져 있다. 먼저 바이러스가 복제되는 동안 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질 인산화가 어떤 생물학적 역할을 하는지에 대한 이해를 하기 위하여 mutagenesis 방법으로 단백질 내 모든 serine 잔기들을 alanine으로 대체하여 변이 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질을 구축하였다. 이 재조합 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질은 비인산화 단백질로 확인되었고 이는 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질 인산화에 serine 잔기들이 중요한 역할을 한다는 것을 증명하였다. 돼지 생식기호흡기증후군 바이러스 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질은 세포핵 내 이동과 N-N dimer 형성 등의 특이적인 생물학적 특성들을 보유하고 있으며 이들 각각은 바이러스 감염 시 중요한 역할들을 하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 이 두 가지 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질의 특성들이 인산화 여부에 의해 조절되는지 살펴보았다. 하지만 본 연구의 결과들은 비인산화된 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질이 여전히 transfection된 세포의 핵 또는 핵인에서 발현되었고 더욱이 뉴클레오캡시드 자신과 dimer 형성을 할 수 있었다는 것을 보여주었다. 결론적으로 돼지 생식기호흡기증후군 바이러스 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질의 세포핵 내 수송 및 oligomerization 특성들은 인산화 비의존성으로 조절되는 것으로 보여 진다. 아마도 이 인산화 작용은 뉴클레오캡시드 단백질의 RNA-binding 특성등과 같은 다른 수준의 조절과 관련이 있는 것으로 추측되어 진다.

• 대한바이러스학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.77-90
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• 1996

Nucleocapsid protein (NP)which exists in the particle of hantavirus and surrounds the viral RNA genome is one of the major structural proteins and plays role of antigen to elicit the antibody detected predorminantly right after infection of the virus in the patients of hemorragic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)or experimental animals. NP is important target antigen in serological diagnostic system of HFRS utilizing whole antigens from the native virus particle, such as IFA, ELISA and Western blotting. Therefore, the preparation of this protein in the level of higher quantity and purity is desirasble for developed dianosis of the disease. The purpose of this study is the cloning of NP gene which exists in the S genome segment of Maaji (MAA) virus and expression of the gene to obtain qualified, genetically engineered NP to be utilized as an immunodiagnostic antigen. First of all, for the purpose of amplifing the MAA-NP gene by PCR, the specific primers were built from the known nucleotide sequence of Hantaan viral NP gene. The viral cDNA of the NP gene was synthesized by using the primers and RNase $H^-$ AMV reverse transcriptase. Thereafter, using this cDNA as a template, the NP gene was amplified specifically by Taq DNA polymrerase. The pT7blue (R)T-overhang vector systems were used for cloning of the amplified NP gene. The expression system was consisted of BL21 (DE3)pLysS and pET16b as a host and a plasmid repectively. Into Ndel site of pET16b, NP gene was ligated with cohesive end for the expression. Insertion of NP gene in the plasmid was confirmed by PCR and mini prep methods. For expression, IPTG was used and the expressed protein was characterized by Western blotting. The MAA-NP was expressed as the form of inclusion body (insoluble fraction)and the protein purified by affinity and metal chealating columns reacted specifically with the sera from patients of HFRS as to be tested by ELISA and Western blotting.

• 대한바이러스학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.39-49
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• 2000

The genome of Hantaan virus, the prototype of the hantavirus genus, is composed of three segmented, single stranded negative sense RNA genome. The 5' and 3' termini of the Hantaan virus RNA genome contain noncoding regions (NCRs) that are highly conserved and complementary to form panhandle structures. There are some reports that these NCRs seems to control gene expression and viral replication in influenza virus and vesicular stomatitis virus. In this study, we examined whether NCRs in Hantaan virus playa role in expression of the viral nucleocapsid protein (Np) and foreign (luciferase) gene. The 5' and/or 3' NCR-deleted mutants were constructed and analysed. The Np expression of 5' NCR-deleted clone was similar to that of the clone containing full S genome. In the case of 3' NCR-deleted clone, it showed 40% reduction. To investigate the role of NCR in foreign gene expression, the clones which are replaced ORF of Hantaan viral Np gene with that of luciferase gene were constructed. The results were similar to those of the experiments using Np gene. These results suggest that 3' NCR is more important than 5' NCR in protein expression. To find out a critical region of 3' NCR in protein expression, several clones with a deleted part of 3' NCR were constructed and analyzed. The deletion of the conserved region in 3' NCR showed $20{\sim}30%$ decrease in Np expression. However there were no change in luciferase activities between clones with or without non-conserved region of 3' NCR. These results suggest that the 3' NCR of Hantaan virus S genome, especially conserved region in 3' NCR, plays an important role in the expression of Hantaan viral Np and foreign genes.

• 한국동물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물학회 1998년도 한국생물과학협회 학술발표대회
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• pp.244.1-244
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.21-26
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• 1991

Bm 배양세포주(BmN4)에서 BmNPV의 다각체 단백질 합성과 DNA복제에 대한 실험결과는 다음과 같다. 1. BmNPV는 insect Grace's medium에서 배양되고 있는 BmN4 세포에서 NOV나 DNA로 감염시킨 경우 모두 잘 증식되었으며, 도립현미경 관찰 결과 접종 후 48시간이 경과하면서 다각체가 형성되기 시작하였다. 2. 또한 전자현미경으로 핵내 형성된 다각체와 협성중인 nucleocapsid 다발을 관찰하였으며, 바이러스 입자는 SNPV로 존재하였다. 3. Western blot분속에 의한 다각체 단백질의 합성은 접종 후 18시간부터 관찰되었으며, 다각체 단백질의 분자량은 30kd이었다. 4. Wild type BmNPV DNA와 Bm 세포(BmN4)에서 NOV 및 DNA 감염에 의해 형성된 바이러스 DNA간의 제한효소 패턴은 차이가 없었다.