• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5350-5355
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• 2012

Human tyrosinase (hTyr) catalyzes the first and rate limiting step in the biosynthesis of a skin color determinant, melanin. Although a number of cosmetic companies have tried to develop hTyr inhibitors for several decades, absence of 3D structure of hTyr make it impossible to design or screen inhibitors by structure-based approach. Therefore, we built a 3D structure by comparative modeling technique based on the crystal structure of tyrosinase from Bacillus megaterium to provide structural information and to search new hit compounds from database. Our model revealed that two copper atoms of active site located deep inside and were coordinated with six strictly conserved histidine residues coming from four-helix-bundle. Substrate binding site had narrow funnel like shape and its entrance was wide and exposed to solvent. In addition, hTyr-tyrosine and hTyr-kojic acid, a well-known inhibitor, complexes were modeled with the guide of solvent accessible surface generated by in-house software. Our model demonstrated that only phenol group or its analogs could fill the binding site near the nuclear copper center, because inside of binding site had narrow shape relatively. In conclusion, the results of this study may provide helpful information for designing and screening new anti-melanogenic agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.387-397
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• 2023

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a heme-containing enzyme that catalyzes hydroxylation reactions with various substrate molecules. Steroid hydroxylases are particularly useful for effectively introducing hydroxyl groups into a wide range of steroids in the pharmaceutical industry. This study reports a newly identified CYP steroid hydroxylase (BaCYP106A6) from the bacterium Bacillus sp. and characterizes it using an in vitro enzyme assay and structural investigation. Bioconversion assays indicated that BaCYP106A1 catalyzes the hydroxylation of progesterone and androstenedione, whereas no or low conversion was observed with 11β-hydroxysteroids such as cortisol, corticosterone, dexamethasone, and prednisolone. In addition, the crystal structure of BaCYP106A6 was determined at a resolution of 2.8 Å to investigate the configuration of the substrate-binding site and understand substrate preference. This structural characterization and comparison with other bacterial steroid hydroxylase CYPs allowed us to identify a unique Arg295 residue that may serve as the key residue for substrate specificity and regioselectivity in BaCYP106A6. This observation provides valuable background for further protein engineering to design commercially useful CYP steroid hydroxylases with different substrate specificities.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1311-1314
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• 2008

Bacillus halodurans O-methyltransferase (BhOMT) is an S-adenosylmethionine dependent methyltransferase. In our previous study, three dimensional structure of the BhOMT has been determined by comparative homology modeling and automated docking study showed that two hydroxyl groups at 3'- and 4'-position in Bring and structural rigidity of C-ring resulting from the double bond characters between C2 and C3 of flavonoid, were key factors for interaction with BhOMT. In the present study, BhOMT was cloned and expressed. Binding assay was performed on purified BhOMT using fluorescence experiments and binding affinity of luteolin, quercetin, fisetin, and myricetin were measured in the range of $10^7$. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicated that divalent cation plays a critical role on the metal-mediated electrostatic interactions between flavonoid and substrate binding site of BhOMT. Fluorescence study confirmed successfully the data obtained from the docking study and these results imply that hydroxyl group at 7-position of luteolin, quercetin, fisetin, and myricetin forms a stable hydrogen bonding with K211 and carboxyl oxygen of C-ring forms a stable hydrogen bonding with R170. Hydroxyl group at 3'-and 4'-position in the B-ring also has strong $Ca^{2+}$ mediated electrostatic interactions with BhOMT.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.131-138
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• 2002

The cyclophilins (Cyps) are family members of proteins that exhibit peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase, EC 5.2.1.8) activity and bind the immunosuppressive agent cyclosprin A (CsA) in varying degrees. During the process of random sequencing of a cDNA library made from Giardia intestinalis WB strain, the cyclophilin gene (gicypl) was isolated. An open reading frame of gicyp1 gene was 576 nucleotides, which corresponded to a translation product of 176 amino acids (Gicypl). The identity with other Cyps was about 58-71%. The 13 residues that constituted the CsA binding site of human cyclophilin were also detected in the amino acid sequence of Gicypl, including tryptophan residue essential for the drug binding. The single copy of the gicypl gene was detected in the G. intestinalis chromosome by southern hybridization analysis. Recombinant Gicyp 1 protein clearly accelerated the rate of cis ${\rightarrow}$ trans isomerization of the peptide substrate and the catalysis was completely inhibited by the addition of $0.5{\;}{\mu}M$ CsA.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.193-201
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• 1996

In order to study the role of C-terminal aromatic region of T4 endonuclease V in the interaction with substrate DNA, NMR and Fluorescence spectrum were recorded. Analysis of flu orescence emission spectra showed that C-terminal region of T4 endonuclease V is in or very near the binding site. In the HSQC spectrum of $^{15}N$-Tyr-labeled T4 endonuclease V*DNA complex, the broadening of a peak was observed. It is presumed that this peak corresponds to one among three tyrosine residues which belong to the WYKYY segment of C-terminal region of T4 endonuclease V. Interactions of peptide fragments consisting of C-terminal residues of T4 endonuclease V with DNAs(TT-, T^T-DNA) were investigated by NMR and Fluorescence experiment. The results suggest that two peptide fragments themselves bind to DNAs and their binding pattern is not an intercalation mode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.74-74
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• 1995

GABA transaminase is inactivated by preincubation with p$^1$, p$^2$-bis(5'-pyridoxal) diphosphate at pH 7.0. The inactivation under pseudo-first order conditions proceeds at a slow rate (K$\_$obs/=0.035 min$\^$-1/). The degree of labeling of the enzyme by p$^1$, p$^2$-bis(5'-pyridoxal) diphosphate was determined by absorption spectroscopy, The blocking of 2 lysyl residues/dimer is needed for inactivation of the transaminase. The time course of the reaction is significantly affected by the substrate ${\alpha}$-ketoglutarate, which afforded complete protection against the loss of the catalytic activity. Whereas cofator pyridoxal phosphate failed to prevent the inactivation of the enzyme. Therefore, it is postulated that binding of ${\alpha}$-ketoglutarate tn lysyl residues is the major factor contributing to stabilization of the catalytic site and bifuctional reagent p$^1$, p$^2$bis(5'-pyridoxal) diphosphate blocks lysyl residues other than those involved in the binding of the cofactor.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.331-341
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• 2018

L-pipecolic acid is a non-protein amino acid commonly found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. It is a well-known precursor to numerous microbial secondary metabolites and pharmaceuticals, including anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, and several antibiotics. Lysine cyclodeaminase (LCD) catalyzes ${\beta}$-deamination of L-lysine into L-pipecolic acid using ${\beta}$-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as a cofactor. Expression of a human homolog of LCD, ${\mu}$-crystallin, is elevated in prostate cancer patients. To understand the structural features and catalytic mechanisms of LCD, we determined the crystal structures of Streptomyces pristinaespiralis LCD (SpLCD) in (i) a binary complex with $NAD^+$, (ii) a ternary complex with $NAD^+$ and L-pipecolic acid, (iii) a ternary complex with $NAD^+$ and L-proline, and (iv) a ternary complex with $NAD^+$ and L-2,4-diamino butyric acid. The overall structure of SpLCD was similar to that of ornithine cyclodeaminase from Pseudomonas putida. In addition, SpLCD recognized L-lysine, L-ornithine, and L-2,4-diamino butyric acid despite differences in the active site, including differences in hydrogen bonding by Asp236, which corresponds with Asp228 from Pseudomonas putida ornithine cyclodeaminase. The substrate binding pocket of SpLCD allowed substrates smaller than lysine to bind, thus enabling binding to ornithine and L-2,4-diamino butyric acid. Our structural and biochemical data facilitate a detailed understanding of substrate and product recognition, thus providing evidence for a reaction mechanism for SpLCD. The proposed mechanism is unusual in that $NAD^+$ is initially converted into NADH and then reverted back into $NAD^+$ at a late stage of the reaction.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.363-370
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• 1997

RNase MRP is a ribonucleoprotein complex with a site-specific endonuclease activity. Its original substrate for cleavage is the small mitochondrial RNA near the mitochondrial DNA replication origin, thus it was proposed to generate the primer for mtDNA replication. Recently, it has been shown to have another substrate in the nucleus, such as pre-S.8S ribosomal RNA in nucleolus. The gene for the RNA component of RNase MRP (MRP RNA) was found to be encoded by the nucleus genome, suggesting an interesting intracellular trafficking of MRP RNA to both mitochondria and nucleolus after transcription in nucleus. In this study, genomic DNA encoding MRP RNA was microinjected into the nucleus of Xenopus oocytes, to analyze promoter regions involved in the transcription. It showed that the proximal sequence element and TATA box are important for basal level transcription; octamer motif and Sp1 binding sites are for elevated level transcription. Most of Xenopus MRP RNA was exported out to the cytoplasm following transcription in the nucleus. Utilizing various hybrid constructs, export of MRP RNA was found to be regulated by the promoter and the 5' half of the coding region of the gene. Interestingly, the transcription in nucleus seems to be coupled to the export of MRP RNA to cytoplasm. Intracellular transport of injected MRP RNA can be easily visualized by whole-mount in situ hybridization following microinjection; it also shows possible intra-nuclear sites for transcription and export of MRP RNA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.268-273
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• 2019

The specificity of a Bacillus licheniformis uridine diphosphate (UDP) glycosyltransferase, YjiC, was increased towards thymidine diphosphate (TDP)-sugar by site-directed mutagenesis. The Arg-282 of YjiC was identified and investigated by substituting with Trp. Conversion rate and kinetic parameters were compared between YjiC and its variants with several acceptor substrates such as 7-hydroxyflavone (7-HF), 4',7-dihydroxyisoflavone, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone and curcumin. Molecular docking of TDP-glucose and 7-HF with YjiC model showed pi-alkyl interaction with Arg-282 and His-14, and pi-pi interaction with $His^{14}$ and thymine ring. YjiC (H14A) variant lost its glucosylation activity with TDP-glucose validating significance of His-14 in binding of TDP-sugars.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.606-611
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• 2023

The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 cleaves 11 sites of viral polypeptide chains and generates essential non-structural proteins for viral replication. Mpro is an important drug target against COVID-19. In this study, we developed a real-time fluorometric turn-on assay system to evaluate Mpro proteolytic activity for a substrate peptide between NSP4 and NSP5. It produced reproducible and reliable results suitable for HTS inhibitor assays. Thus far, most inhibitors against Mpro target the active site for substrate binding. Mpro exists as a dimer, which is essential for its activity. We investigated the potential of the Mpro dimer interface to act as a drug target. The dimer interface is formed of domain II and domain III of each protomer, in which N-terminal ten amino acids of the domain I are bound in the middle as a sandwich. The N-terminal part provides approximately 39% of the dimer interface between two protomers. In the real-time fluorometric turn-on assay system, peptides of the N-terminal ten amino acids, N10, can inhibit the Mpro activity. The dimer interface could be a prospective drug target against Mpro. The N-terminal sequence can help develop a potential inhibitor.