• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.409-413
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• 2012

Indolicidin (ID) is a 13-residue Trp-rich antimicrobial peptide (AMP) isolated from bovine neutrophils. In addition to having a high antimicrobial potency, it is also toxic to mammalian cells. To develop novel ID-derived AMPs with shorter lengths and enhanced prokaryotic selectivities (meaning potent antimicrobial activity against bacterial cells without toxicity against mammalian cells) over the parental ID, several ID analogs were designed and synthesized. Finally, 10-residue ID analogs (SI, SI-PA, SI-WF and SI-WL) with much higher prokaryotic selectivity than the parental ID were developed. Our results suggest that the hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids at the central position of the analog SI with the highest prokaryotic selectivity are important for potent antimicrobial activity, but two Pro residues do not affect antimicrobial activity. The order of prokaryotic selectivity for ID and its designed analogs was SI > SI-PA > SI-WF > SI-WL > ID > SI-WA. Taken together, our designed short ID analogs could be developed as therapeutic agents for treating bacterial infections.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.380-387
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• 2008

The effects of the applied stretch and MgADP binding on the structure of the actin and myosin cross-bridges in rabbit fibers in the rigor state have been investigatedwith improved resolution by x-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. To clarify the structure of the ATP hydrolysis intermediates formed by actin and myosin cross-bridges,the effects of various phosphate analogs in the of MgADP on the structure of the thin and thick filaments in glycerinated rabbit muscle fibers in the rigor state investigated by x-ray diffraction with a short exposure time using synchrotron radiation. These results strongly suggest that when MgADP and phosphate analogs such as metallofluorides(BeF3 and AlF4)and vanadate(VO4(Vi)) were added the rigor fibers in the presence of the ATP-depletion backup system, the intensities of the actin-based layer lines were markedly weakened. We found that the intensity of the 14.5 nm-based meridional reflections increase by 20-50% when phosphate analogs such as metallofluorides(BeF3 and AlF4) and vanadate(VO4(Vi)) was added to the rigor muscle.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.35-35
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• 2005

Recombinant human $interferon-{\beta}-1a(rIFN-{\beta})$ is a single glycosylated protein (at N80, 1N) with anti-viral activity. However, present drugs have a relatively short serum half-life of $rIFN-{\beta}$, thus patients suffer from frequent $infections.^{1)}$ To improve its half-life, eight glycosylation analogs were prepared, which have additional N-linked glycosylation consensus sequences (N-X-T/S) within the $IFN-{\beta}$ molecule and/or at C-terminal. Each $rIFN-{\beta}$ analog was examined for the presence of additional N-linked glycosylation and the maintenance of anti-viral activity in CHO cells. The molecular weights of five analogs were not changed. However, two analogs, R27T within $rIFN-{\beta}$ (27 kDa, 2N) and GNITVNITV at C-terminal (29kDa, 2N), showed a clear increase in molecular weights, compared to native $rIFN-{\beta}$ (23 kDa, 1N). And another combined analog of R27T+GNITVNITV showed increased molecular weight (33 kDa, 3N). It was confimed that the molecular weight increment of analogs was caued by the N-linked glycosylation with the treatment of N-glycansae. In the case of anti-viral activity, the analog GNITVNITV showed a reduction in activity compared to native $IFN-{\beta}$, whereas the analogs R27T and R27T+GNITVNITV were found to have distinctly increased activities. Pharmacokinetic study in rats also disclosed that the analogs R27T and R27T+GNITVNITV had 2 3 fold increased serum half-life, respectively. In conclusion, the addition of N-linked glycosylation in $rIFN-{\beta}$ increased serum half-life, thereby its less frequent administration will be expected.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.282-289
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• 2021

A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), caused a worldwide pandemic. Our aim in this study is to produce new fusion inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2, which can be the basis for developing new antiviral drugs. The fusion core comprising the heptad repeat domains (HR1 and HR2) of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) were used to design the peptides. A total of twelve peptides were generated, comprising a short or truncated 24-mer (peptide #1), a long 36-mer peptide (peptide #2), and ten peptide #2 analogs. In contrast to SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 S-mediated cell-cell fusion cannot be inhibited with a minimal length, 24-mer peptide. Peptide #2 demonstrated potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 S-mediated cell-cell fusion at 1 µM concentration. Three peptide #2 analogs showed IC50 values in the low micromolar range (4.7-9.8 µM). Peptide #2 inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus assay at IC50=1.49 µM. Given their potent inhibition of viral activity and safety and lack of cytotoxicity, these peptides provide an attractive avenue for the development of new prophylactic and therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.3632-3636
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• 2014

In this study we designed and synthesized several heptapeptides that are enforced to form an amphipathic helix using all-hydrocarbon stapling system and evaluated their antimicrobial and hemolytic activities. The antimicrobial activity showed clear structure-activity relationships, confirming the importance of helicity and amphipathicity. Some stapled heptapeptides displayed a moderate antimicrobial activity along with a low hemolytic activity. To our best knowledge, although not highly potent, these stapled peptides represent the shortest helical amphipathic antimicrobial peptides reported to date. The preliminary data obtained in this work would serve as a good starting point for further developing short analogs of amphipathic helical antimicrobial peptides.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.9
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• pp.355-361
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• 2016

The menarcheal age of Korean women has been rapidly decreasing for the last 50 years, and the average menarcheal age of women born in the 1990s is approaching 12.6 years. In addition, interest in early puberty has been increasing recently owing to the rapid increase in precocious puberty. Generally, out of concern for short stature and early menarche, idiopathic central precocious puberty in female adolescents is treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. Studies to date have described the association between early menarche and psychosocial problems such as delinquency and risky sexual behavior, as well as physical health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and breast cancer throughout the lifespan of women. However, the pathophysiological mechanism underlying this association has not been clarified thus far. In this article, we review and discuss the existing literature to describe the current understanding of the effects of early menarche on the physical and psychosocial health of adolescent girls and adult women.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.128-133
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• 2010

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of the implant master cast according to the type (pick-up, transfer) and the length (long, short) of the impression copings. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The metal master cast was fabricated with three internal connection type implant analogs (Osstem GS III analog), embedded parallel and with $10^{\circ}$ of mesial angulation to the center analog. Four types of impression coping were prepared with different combinations of types (transfer, pick-up) and lengths (long, short) of the coping. The impressions were made using vinyl polysiloxane (one step, heavy + light body) with an individual tray, and 10 impressions were made for each group. Eventually, 40 experimental casts were produced. Then, the difference in the distance between the master cast and the experimental cast were measured, and the error rate was determined. The analysis of variance was performed using the SPSS (v 12.0) program (${\alpha}$= .05), and the statistical significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS. The ANOVA showed that the pick-up type impression coping exhibited a significantly lower error rate than the transfer type. However, no significant difference was observed with respect to the length of the impression coping. Additionally, no significant difference was observed between the parallel and mesial angulated groups. CONCLUSION. Within the limitations of this study, the pick-up type impression coping exhibited a more accurate implant master cast than the transfer type in parallel group. The accuracy of the implant master cast did not differ for different lengths of impression coping of at least 11 mm. Additionally, the accuracy of the implant cast was not different for the parallel and $10^{\circ}$ mesial angulated groups.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.97-103
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• 2006

Phosphoinositides are critical regulators of ion channel and transporter activity. There are multiple isomers of biologically active phosphoinositides in the plasma membrane and the different lipid species are non-randomly distributed. However, the mechanism by which cells impose selectivity and directionality on lipid movements and so generate a non-random lipid distribution remains unclear. In the present study we investigated which structural elements of phosphoinositides are responsible for their subcellular location and movement. We incubated phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PI(4)P) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate ($PI(4,5)P_2$) with short or long acyl chains in CHO and HEK cells. We show that phosphate number and acyl chain length determine cellular location and translocation movement. In CHO cells, $PI(4,5)P_2$ with a long acyl chain was released into the cytosol easily because of a low partition coefficient whereas long chain PI was released more slowly because of a high partition coefficient. In HEK cells, the cellular location and translocation movement of PI were similar to those of PI in CHO cells, whereas those of $PI(4,5)P_2$ were different; some mechanism restricted the translocation movement of $PI(4,5)P_2$, and this is in good agreement with the extremely low lateral diffusion of $PI(4,5)P_2$. In contrast to the dependence on the number of phosphates of the phospholipid head group of long acyl chain analogs, short acyl chain phospholipids easily undergo translocation movement regardless of cell type and number of phosphates in the lipid headgroup.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.303-329
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• 2019

Intestinal failure (IF) is the critical reduction of the gut mass or its function below the minimum needed to absorb nutrients and fluids required for adequate growth in children. Severe IF requires parenteral nutrition (PN). Pediatric IF is most commonly due to congenital or neonatal intestinal diseases or malformations divided into 3 groups: 1) reduced intestinal length and consequently reduced absorptive surface, such as in short bowel syndrome (SBS) or extensive aganglionosis; 2) abnormal development of the intestinal mucosa such as congenital diseases of enterocyte development; 3) extensive motility dysfunction such as chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndromes. The leading cause of IF in childhood is the SBS. In clinical practice the degree of IF may be indirectly measured by the level of PN required for normal or catch up growth. Other indicators such as serum citrulline have not proven to be highly reliable prognostic factors in children. The last decades have allowed the development of highly sophisticated nutrient solutions consisting of optimal combinations of macronutrients and micronutrients as well as guidelines, promoting PN as a safe and efficient feeding technique. However, IF that requires long-term PN may be associated with various complications including infections, growth failure, metabolic disorders, and bone disease. IF Associated Liver Disease may be a limiting factor. However, changes in the global management of IF pediatric patients, especially since the setup of intestinal rehabilitation centres did change the prognosis thus limiting "nutritional failure" which is considered as a major indication for intestinal transplantation (ITx) or combined liver-ITx.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.260-265
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• 2020

Scorpion venom comprises a cocktail of toxins that have proven to be useful molecular tools for studying the pharmacological properties of membrane ion channels. HelaTx1, a short peptide neurotoxin isolated recently from the venom of the scorpion Heterometrus laoticus, is a 25 amino acid peptide with two disulfide bonds that shares low sequence homology with other scorpion toxins. HelaTx1 effectively decreases the amplitude of the K⁺ currents of voltage-gated Kv1.1 and Kv1.6 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and was identified as the first toxin member of the κ-KTx5 subfamily, based on a sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis. In the present study, we report the NMR solution structure of HelaTx1, and the major interaction points for its binding to voltage-gated Kv1.1 channels. The NMR results indicate that HelaTx1 adopts a helix-loop-helix fold linked by two disulfide bonds without any β-sheets, resembling the molecular folding of other cysteine-stabilized helix-loop-helix (Cs α/α) scorpion toxins such as κ-hefutoxin, HeTx, and OmTx, as well as conotoxin pl14a. A series of alanine-scanning analogs revealed a broad surface on the toxin molecule largely comprising positively-charged residues that is crucial for interaction with voltage-gated Kv1.1 channels. Interestingly, the functional dyad, a key molecular determinant for activity against voltage-gated potassium channels in other toxins, is not present in HelaTx1.