• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.28.1-28.11
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• 2022

The 26S proteasome irreversibly hydrolyzes polyubiquitylated substrates to maintain protein homeostasis; it also regulates immune responses by generating antigenic peptides. An alternative form of the 26S proteasome is the immunoproteasome, which contains substituted catalytic subunits (β1i/PSMB9, β2i/PSMB10, and β5i/PSMB8) instead of constitutively expressed counterparts (β1/PSMB6, β2/PSMB7, and β5/PSMB5). The immunoproteasome expands the peptide repertoire presented on MHC class I molecules. However, how its activity changes in this context is largely elusive, possibly due to the lack of a standardized methodology to evaluate its specific activity. Here, we describe an assay protocol that measures the immunoproteasome activity of whole-cell lysates using commercially available fluorogenic peptide substrates. Our results showed that the most accurate assessment of immunoproteasome activity could be achieved by combining β5i-targeting substrate Ac-ANW-AMC and immunoproteasome inhibitor ONX-0914. This simple and reliable protocol may contribute to future studies of immunoproteasomes and their pathophysiological roles during viral infection, inflammation, and tumorigenesis.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2024

As the limitations of Moore's Law become evident, there has been growing interest in advanced packaging technologies. Among various 3D packaging techniques, Cu-SiO₂ hybrid bonding has gained attention in heterogeneous devices. However, certain issues, such as its high-temperature processing conditions and copper oxidation, can affect electrical properties and mechanical reliability. Therefore, we studied depositing only a heterometal on top of the Cu in Cu-SiO₂ composite substrates to prevent copper surface oxidation and to lower bonding process temperature. The heterometal needs to be deposited as an ultra-thin layer of less than 10 nm, for copper diffusion. We established the process conditions for depositing a Co film using a Co(EtCp)₂ precursor and utilizing plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), which allows for precise atomic level thickness control. In addition, we attempted to use a growth inhibitor by growing a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) material, octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS), on a SiO₂ substrate to selectively suppress the growth of Co film. We compared the growth behavior of the Co film under various PEALD process conditions and examined their selectivity based on the ODTS growth time.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1256-1266
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• 2004

2-Bromooctanoic acid (2-BrOA) is known to block the formation of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) in Pseudomonasfluorescens BM07 without any influence on the cell growth when grown on fructose, but it inhibits the cell growth when grown on octanoate (OA) (Lee et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4963- 4974, 2001). We investigated the role of 2-BrOA in the PHA synthesis of the bacterium grown with mixtures of fructose and fatty acids. OA, 11­phenoxyundecanoic acid (1 1-POU), and 5-phenylvaleric acid (5-PV) were selected as model substrates. When supplemented with 50 mM fructose, all these carboxylic acids suppressed the formation of PHA from fructose, however, the ~-oxidation coenzyme A monomers derived from the carboxylic acids were efficiently polymerized, but the conversion yield [(mol of carboxylate substrate converted into PHA)/(mol of carboxylate substrate in the feed)] was low (e.g., maximally $\~53\%$ for 5 mM 11-POU). Addition of 2-BrOA (up to 5 mM) to the mixed carbon sources raised the conversion yield sensitively and effectively only at low levels of the acid substrates (e.g., 2 mM 1 1-POU or 5 mM OA): For instance, $100\%$ of 2 mM ll-POU were converted into PHA in the presence of 5 mM 2-BrOA, whereas only $\~10\%$ of the 1 1-POU were converted in the absence of 2-BrOA. However, at highly saturated suppressing levels (e.g., 5 mM ll-POU), 2-BrOA inhibitor showed no significant additional effect on the conversion ($60- 70\%$ conversion irrespective of 2-BrOA level). The existence of competitive and compensative relationship between 2­BrOA and all the carboxylic acid substrates used may indicate 'Present address: Section on Brain Physiology and Metabolism, Bldg. 10, Rm. 6N202, National Institute on Agmg, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, U.S.A. that all the acid substrate-derived inhibiting species bind to the same site as the 2-BrOA inhibiting species does. We, therefore, suggest that 2-BrOA can be used for efficiently increasing the yield of conversion of expensive substituted fatty acids into PHA and then substituted 3-hydroxyacids by hydrolyzing it.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2001

This study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and nitric oxide (NO) as a regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. VSMC was primarily cultured from rat aorta and confirmed by the immunocytochemistry with anti-smooth muscle myosin antibody. The number of viable VSMCs were counted, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured to assess the degree of cell death. Concentrations of nitrite in the culture medium were measured as an indicator of NO production. LPS was introduced into the medium to induce the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in VSMC, and Western blot for iNOS protein and RT-PCR for iNOS mRNA were performed to confirm the presence of iNOS. Inhibitors of iNOS and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and L-arginine were employed to observe the action of LPS on the iNOS-NO-cGMP signalling pathway. LPS and SNP decreased number of VSMCs and increased the nitrite concentration in the culture medium, but there was no significant change in LDH activity. A cell permeable cGMP derivative, 8-Bromo-cGMP, decreased the number of VSMCs with no significant change in LDH activity. L-arginine, an NO substrate, alone tended to reduce cell count without affecting nitrite concentration or LDH level. Aminoguanidine, an iNOS specific inhibitor, inhibited LPS-induced reduction of cell numbers and reduced the nitrite concentration in the culture medium. LY 83583, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, suppressed the inhibitory actions of LPS and SNP on VSMC proliferation. LPS increased amounts of iNOS protein and iNOS mRNA in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that LPS inhibits the VSMC proliferation via production of NO by inducing iNOS gene expression. The cGMP which is produced by subsequent activation of guanylate cyclase would be a major mediator in the inhibitory action of iNOS-NO signalling on VSMC proliferation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 1994

Two different trypsin inhibitors, TRTI-1 and TRTI-2, were purified to near homogenity from Trichosanthes kirilowii root, by $0{\sim}90%$ saturated ammonium sulfate salting out, DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography, Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatography and trypsin-affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of TRTI-1 and TRTI-2 were estimated to be about 5,000 Da and 24,000 Da, respectively, by gel filtration and must be monomer and homodimer since they contain 4,000 Da and 10,000 Da each on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. TRTI-1 was stable after heating for at least 2 hr at $100^{\circ}C$ but TRTI-2 was completely inactivated after heating for 10 min at $90^{\circ}C$. When Bz-dl-Arg-pNA was used as a substrate of TPCK-treated trypsin, half-maximal inhibitions of TRTI-1 and TRTI-2 were observed at $0.8\;{\mu}M$ and 6\;${\mu}M$, repectively. Both TRTI-1 and TRTI-2 inhibited the hydrolysis of trypsin competitively and Km values were $0.97\;{\mu}M$ and $0.63\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Both TRTI-1 and TRTI-2 specifically inhibited trypsin but they did not inhibit other proteases tested, chymotrypsin, papain, elastase, collagenase, thermolysin, Nagarase, pepsin, and thrombin.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 1990

Two trypsin-like enzymes, designated trypsin A and 3, purified from the intestine of menhaden by $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ fractionation, Benzamidine-Sepharose 6B affinity chromatography, DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography. The two trypsins were subjected to compare the enzymatic properties of the trypsin-like enzymes from the other dark fleshed fishes. Both trypsins catalysed the hydrolysis of N$\alpha$-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide and they were remarkably inhibited by several well known trypsin-inhibitors, tosyllysyl chloromethyl ketone, soybean trypsin inhibitor, be-nzamidine, leupeptin and antipain, etc. Therefore, it was ascertained that the two enzymes are serine-type trypsins. The molecular weights of these enzymes were about 25,000 and 26,200, respectively, ;Is determined by SDS-PAG electrophoresis and by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, and the molecular weights of these two enzymes are somewhat fewer than those from the other dark fleshed fishes. Both enzymes had less basic amino acids such as arginine and Iysine, whereas they had slightly high contents of neutral amino acids, glycine, alanine and tryptophane. The enzymes showed a pH optimum of $8\~11$ at $60^{\circ}C$ against the $N\alpha$-benzoyl-DL-argi-nine-p-nitroanilide substrate and they were quite unstable above $40^{\circ}C$ and under the atidic pH region. The Km constant of the two enzymes against the $N\alpha$-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide was $1.4\times10^{-4}M$ for trypsin A and $4.3\times10^{-5}M$ for trypsin B, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1255-1264
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• 2015

Cnidium officinale, a traditional herb, has diverse beneficial pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antiangiogenesis effects. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of apoptosis by C. officinale are poorly defined. The present study investigated the proapoptotic effects of water, ethanol, and methanol extract of C. officinale (WECO, EECO, and MECO, respectively) in human leukemia U937 cells. The antiproliferative activity of EECO was higher than that of WECO and MECO. The antiproliferative effect of EECO treatment in U937 cells was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death, including increased populations of annexin-V positive cells, the formation of apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation, and increased numbers of cells with a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, Δψm). EECO-induced apoptotic cell death was associated with upregulation of death receptor 4 (DR4) and down-regulation of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (cIAP-1), Bcl-2, and total Bid. The EECO treatment also induced the proteolytic activation of caspases (-3, -8, and -9), and degradation of caspase-3 substrate proteins, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), β-catenin, and phospholipase C-γ1 (PLCγ1). In addition, the EECO treatment effectively activated the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. However, compound C, a specific inhibitor of AMPK, significantly reduced EECO-induced apoptosis. These results indicate that AMPK is a key regulator of apoptosis in response to EECO in human leukemia U937 cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.397-402
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• 1984

As a basic research for inhibition of enzymatic browning of apple wine, polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.10.3.1) from apple (Jonathan) was extracted, partially purified, and some properties of the enzyme and changes o( active bands by heat treatment were investigated. Optimum conditions for the enzyme reaction were pH6.5 and temperature of $30^{\circ}C$, and o-diphenol was the main substrate for the enzyme. Approximately 35% and 15% of initia lpolyphenol oxidase activity remained after heating at $60^{\circ}C$ and $70^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour, respectively. About 0.5mM of the inhibitor such as sodium metabisulfite, cysteine and ascorbic acid was required for effective inhibition of the enzyme reaction. However, EDTA was found to be a very poor inhibitor. Ethanol did not affect the enzyme activity. The number of active bands of polyphenol oxidase from apple(Jonathan) was found to be four, but two bands and one band were observed after heating at $60^{\circ}C$ and $70^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour, respectively, which showed a significant difference in thermal stability among active bands.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.112-116
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• 1997

The enzymatic properties as well as its distribution in the cerebral region and subcellular organells were investigated for the neurosteroid acyltransferase from the bovine brain, which synthesize the fatty acid esters of the neurosteroids. The cerebellum region was the highest in NSAT activity while the cerebrum was the lowest with 50% of the cerebellar activity. The NSAT was found to be mainly localized in the microsomal fraction. The optimal temperature and pH were $40^{\circ}C$ and 4.9, respectively. When $^3H-DHEA$ was utilized as substrate, the $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ was $32.6\;{\mu}M$ and 4.86 nmole/mg protein/h, respectively. Under the same condition pregnenolone$({\Delta}^5P)$ was a competitive inhibitor with $K_i=22.8\;{\mu}M$ and testosterone was a uncompetitive inhibitor with $K_i=22.8\;{\mu}M$. This may suggest that the NSAT has a different conformation in the acylation of the ${\beta}-hydroxyl$ group at C-3 and C-17.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 1998

Protein expression patterns of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were examined in mouse reproductive organs during estrous cycle. Estrous cycle was classified into diestrus, proestrus, estrus or metestus and MMP expression was analyzed by zymography using gelatin as a substrate. Uterine fluid (UF) obtained both at diestrus and proestrus exhibited 4 major MMPs including 106kDa, 64kDa, 62kDa and 59kDa gelatinases. However, in UF at estrus, the gelatinolytic activity of 64kDa MMP disappeared and that of 106kDa and 62kDa MMPs dramatically decreased. At metestrus, 64kDa MMP activity reappeared and 106kDa and 62kDa MMP exhibited increased activities such that the band intensity of 106kDa was comparable to that in UF at diestrus. Gelatinolytic activity of 59kDa MMP was not changed throughout the cycle. Both ovarian and oviductal tissue homogenate revealed 4 MMPs which corresponded to the 4 MMPs of UF. However, unlike UF MMPs, gelatinolytic activity of these MMPs did not show distinct changes throughout the cycle. Either an inhibitor of MMP, 1,10-phenanthroline, or a metal chelator, EDTA, abolished the appearance of the above MMP activities in gelatinated gel whereas a serine proteinase inhibitor, phcnylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, failed to inhibit the appearance of MMP activities, proving that gelatinolytic activity of the above reproductive tissues were due to the enzymatic activity of MMP. When gclatinolytic activity of mouse serum was examined, it revealed 5 MMPs (131kDa, 106kDa, 89kDa, 64kDa and 62kDa bands) and one gelatinase (84kDa) band. From these results, it is concluded that the protein expression of MMPs of mouse reproductive organs, particularly uterus, is temporally regulated during estrous cycle and uterine 106kDa, 64kDa and 62kDa MMPs are suggested to play an important role in cyclic tissue remodeling of mouse uterus.