• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.313-322
• /
• 2020

Eukaryotes transport biomolecules between intracellular organelles and between cells and the environment via vesicle trafficking. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNARE proteins) play pivotal roles in vesicle and membrane trafficking. These proteins are categorized as Qa, Qb, Qc, and R SNAREs and form a complex that induces vesicle fusion for targeting of vesicle cargos. As the core components of the SNARE complex, the SNAP25 Qbc SNAREs perform various functions related to cellular homeostasis. The Arabidopsis thaliana SNAP25 homolog AtSNAP33 interacts with Qa and R SNAREs and plays a key role in cytokinesis and in triggering innate immune responses. However, other Arabidopsis SNAP25 homologs, such as AtSNAP29 and AtSNAP30, are not well studied; this includes their localization, interactions, structures, and functions. Here, we discuss three biological functions of plant SNAP25 orthologs in the context of AtSNAP33 and highlight recent findings on SNAP25 orthologs in various plants. We propose future directions for determining the roles of the less well-characterized AtSNAP29 and AtSNAP30 proteins.

• Ocean Science Journal
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.43-51
• /
• 2006

Concentration and distribution of Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, Pb, Ni among subcellular fractions (cellular membrane structures and cytosol) and Zn, Cu, Cd among cytoplasmic proteins in the kidney and digestive gland of mussel Modiolus modiolus living along a polymetallic concentration gradient were studied. It was found in the kidney of M. modiolus from contaminated sites that the Fe percent increased in the "membrane" fraction, whereas Zn, Pb, Ni and Mn percent increased in the cytosol compared to the kidney of the control mussel. Note kidney cytosol of M. modiolus from clean and contaminated sites sequestered major parts of Cu and Cd. In the digestive gland of M. modiolus from contaminated sites Fe, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ni percent increased in the "membrane" fraction, whereas Cu, Pb percent increased in the cytosol compared to digestive gland of control mussel. Gel-filtration chromatography shows kidney of M. modiolus contains increased metallothionein-like protein levels irrespective of ambient dissolved metal concentrations. It was shown that the metal detoxification system in the kidney and digestive gland of M. modiolus was efficient under extremely high ambient metal levels. However, under complex environmental contamination in the kidney of M. modiolus, the metal detoxification capacity of metallothionein-like proteins was damaged.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.234-240
• /
• 1996

A double-stranded RNA binding factor (RBF), characterized as an inhibitor of PKR kinase in our previous study, was evaluated for its RNA binding specificities by RNA gel electrophoretic mobility shift analysis and membrane filter binding assay, RBF displayed affinities for a broad range of RNAs including viral RNAs and synthetic RNAs consiting of stem and loop structures. GC-rich RNA stem helices as short as 11 bp are suggested to represent the minimal binding motif for RBF. RBF binding to all the natural RNAs tested was reversible by poly(I): poly(C) addition, but E. coli 5S RNA was inefficient.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.242-250
• /
• 2013

The autophagy-lysosomal pathway is an important protein degradation system, and its dysfunction has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. Raphani Semen, one of the herbs of Yeoldahanso-tang (YH), has neuroprotective effects via the autophagy pathway. The activity-guided method was used to isolate and identify the components of Raphani Semen. In this experiment, the total extract of Raphani Semen was partitioned to n-butanol, methylene chloride, and water fractions. Flow cytometry data showed that only the water fraction showed autophagy-inducing activity in vitro. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from this water fraction by preparative HPLC separation. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were identified as stachyose and raffinose, respectively, by the analysis of various spectral data ($^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, and MS) and comparisons with standard stachyose and raffinose. Of these two compounds, raffinose showed autophagy-inducing activity in PC12 cells through the mTOR pathway.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
• /
• 2005.11a
• /
• pp.40-64
• /
• 2005

Much biochemical information on peroxiredoxins (Prxs) has been reported but a genuine physiological function for these proteins has not been established. We show here that two cytosolic yeast Prxs, cPrxI and II, exist in a variety of forms that differ in their structure and molecular weight (MW) and that they can act both as a peroxidase and as a molecular chaperone. The peroxidase function predominates in the lower MW proteins, whereas the chaperone function is more significant in the higher MW complexes. Oxidative stress and heat shock exposure of yeasts causesthe protein structures of cPrxI and II to shift from low MW species to high MW complexes. This triggers a peroxidase-to-chaperone functional switch. These in vivo changes are primarily guided by the active peroxidase site residue, $Cys^{47}$, which serves as an efficient $'H_2O_2-sensor'$ in the cells. The chaperone function of the proteins enhances yeast resistance to heat shock.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 1998

6-Substituted derivatives of 1-［(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl］-6-(phenylthio)thymine (HEPT) were synthesized by introducing alkyl groups with the aid of chlorotrimethylsilane, and then purified ranging 40 to 81 % of yield. Because of their peculiar structures, we presumed that HEPT derivatives would contain extra biological activities other than their already known anti-human immunodeficiency viral (HIV -1) activities. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of the HEPT derivatives on bacterial growth and found their selective antibiotic activities against gram-positive strains. We could not observe the corresponding activity from a disc-zone test, but confirmed the activity by liquid cultivation. Since the growth rate of cells was easily recovered, the antibiotic function was suggested to be bacteriostatic. We also suggested that the intracellular fate of HEPT derivatives would be fast. A HEPT derivative f-3 was shown to synergize unidirectionally toward chloramphenicol (Chr). With 0.1 mM f-3, the Chr-directed growth-inhibitory curve appeared 4 hours earlier than found without the additive. Interestingly, from the data of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), we found that a membrane-bound protein having a molecular weight of 70-kDa was overexpressed by f-3 in S. aureus.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.8.1-8.18
• /
• 2017

Background: Metallothionein (MT) is a multifunctional protein playing important roles in homeostatic regulation and detoxification of metals. Mollusk species have been considered as useful sentinel platforms for MT-based biomarker approaches, and they have been reported to display an extraordinary structural diversity of MT proteins. However, potential diversity of molluskan MTs has not been fully explored and recent updates have suggested the need of revision of evolutionary hypothesis for molluskan MTs. Results: Based on bioinformatic analysis and phylogenetic evidences, novel divergence mechanisms and paths were hypothesized in both gastropod and bivalve MT groups. Our analyses are suggestive of the taxon- or lineage-specific domain multiplication/duplication from the ancestral or prototypic MT. Diversification and selection of molluskan MTs might be driven by the needs for acquiring metal selectiveness, specialized novel function, and improved capacity of metal detoxification under environmentally stressed conditions. Conclusion: The structural diversity and variations of molluskan MTs are significantly larger than previously understood. Undoubtedly, molluskan MTs have undergone dynamic divergent processes in their evolutionary histories, giving rise to the great diversity of domain structures in extant MT isoforms. Novel evolutionary paths for molluskan MTs newly proposed in this review could shed additional light onto the revision of the hypothesis for evolutionary differentiation of MTs in the molluskan lineage.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.90-96
• /
• 2011

Automated HPLC/SPE/HPLC coupling experiments using the Sepbox system allowed the rapid identification of four bioactive principles reducing the production of amyloid $\beta$-peptide ($A{\beta}$) from two South African plants, Euclea crispa subsp. crispa and Crinum macowanii. The structures of biologically active compounds isolated from the methanol extract of Euclea crispa subsp. crispa were assigned as 3-oxo-oleanolic acid (1) and natalenone (2) based on their NMR and MS data, while lycorine (3) and hamayne (4) were isolated from the dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) extract of Crinum macowanii. These compounds were shown to inhibit the production of $A{\beta}$ from HeLa cells stably expressing Swedish mutant form of amyloid precursor protein (APPsw).

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2010

Hydrolysate silk fibroin (HSF) is a fibrous protein composed of parallel $\beta$-structures and is made from pure silk elements including 18 amino acids, with glycine, alanine, and serine comprising of over 80% of the amino acids. Numerous studies have documented a range of effects of HSF, including moisturizing, antioxidant activity, nervous system disorders, and many more. We investigated whether HSF has anti-obesity effects in vitro. The effects of HSF inhibition on lipid accumulation and acceleration of lipid degradation in 3T3-L1 cells were studied. Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with HSF caused significant inhibition of cell viability, an increase in glycerol release, and a decreased in adipocyte differentiation. Moreover HSF stimulated downregulated of adipogenic enzyme expressions (PPAR${\gamma}$ and C/EBP${\alpha}$) and up-regulated of fatty oxidation enzyme expressions (CPT-1 and UCP-2). Based on these results, hydrolysate silk fibroin can be suggested as a potential therapeutic substance as part of a prevention or treatment strategy for obesity.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.151-161
• /
• 2011

Plant proteomics is the large-scale studies of proteins, particularly on their structures and functions, governed by the physiological metabolism of plant cells. With the development of techniques and strategies in proteomics, proteomics approach is moving forward in systems biology handling sophisticated components of major signaling and biochemical pathways in plants responding to their environment. In Korea, pioneers in plant proteomics are trying to catch up with global trends in plant proteomics; these researchers are not only improving existing techniques in protein extraction but also developing new techniques in proteomics context. In the hot field of abiotic and biotic stress proteomics, 29 and 9 out of 74 papers have been published during the review period from 2005 to 2010, respectively. This present review article provides an overview on the output of Korean plant proteomers while paying special attention to both abiotic and biotic stress proteomics.