• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
• /
• 2002.06b
• /
• pp.18-18
• /
• 2002

Nitrogenase, comprised of the MoFe and Fe proteins, catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure. The MoFe protein contains two metal centers, the P-cluster (Fe8S7-8) and the FeMo-cofactor (Fe7S9：homocitrate), the substrate binding site. Despite the availability of the crystal structure of the MoFe protein, suprisingly little is known about the molecular details of catalysis at the active site, and no small-molecule substrate or inhibitor had ever been shown to directly interact with a protein-bound cluster of the functioning enzyme, until our electron-nuclear double resonance(ENDOR) study of CO-inhibited nitrogenase.(omitted)

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.968-973
• /
• 2010

In order to study its biochemical properties, the integrase (IN) protein of feline foamy virus (FFV) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified by two-step chromatography, (Talon column and heparin column), and characterized in biochemical aspects. For the three enzymatic reactions of the 3'-processing, strand transfer, and disintegration activities, the $Mn^{2+}$ ion was essentially required as a cofactor. Interestingly, $Co^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ ions were found to act as effective cofactors, whereas other transition elements such as $Ni^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $La^{3+}$, $Y^{3+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Li^{1+}$, $Ba^{2+}$, $Sr^{2+}$, and $V^{3+}$ were not. Regarding the substrate specificity, FFV IN has low substrate specificities as it cleaved in a significant level prototype foamy virus (PFV) U5 LTR substrate as well as FFV U5 LTR substrate, whereas PFV IN did not. Finally, the 3'-processing activity was observed in high concentrations of several solvents such as CHAPS, glycerol, Tween 20, and Triton X-100, which are generally used for dissolution of chemicals in inhibitor screening. Therefore, in this first report showing its biochemical properties, FFV IN is proposed to have low specificities on the use of cofactor and substrate for enzymatic reaction as compared with other retroviral INs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.165-171
• /
• 2001

New visible and fast assay system have been developed for tobacco transformant introduced with adenosine deaminase (ADA) marker gene, which converts cytotoxic adenosine analogues to non-toxic inosine analogues and ammonia. Ammonia was changed to blue color in the solution of phenol-nitoprusside and alkaline-hypochlorite. It was possible to detect activity of ADA visibly on the holes of 96 well plate using tiny explant of transgenic tobacco leaves within 1 hour incubation time. As substrates of ADA enzyme from transgenic plant on the plate, a number of adenosine analogues such as 9-D-arabinofuranosyl adenine, cordycepin, 2'-deoxyadenosine, adenosine and xylofuranosyl adenine were possible for detection of ADA activity. Optimal condition of substrate for ADA enzyme was each 10 mM and pH 7.5 in adenosine solution. Especially, transgenic plant did not convert adenosine to inosine and ammonia in the presence of ADA inhibitor deoxycoformycin, which means that ammonia produced from transgenic plant is due to expression of ADA gene. Now, we show that this detection system can be easily, sensitively, fast and cheaply as well as visibly assayed in vitro as GUS gene system with very small size of transformant explant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.187-193
• /
• 2008

Biological removal capacities for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined using a yeast strain, Candida tropicalis. In this study, VOCs including toluene, benzene, p-xylene, and styrene as single substrates or mixtures were tested in the batch culture of the yeast strain. In addition, a kinetic model was applied to evaluate substrate interactions between the VOCs. The yeast strain was able to biodegrade each VOC effectively as a growth substrate, implying it could applied to wide range of VOCs. When the yeast strain was subjected to VOCs in mixtures, the biodegradation rate of one substrate were either increased (stimulated) or decreased (inhibited) by the presence of the others. Both benzene and toluene were inhibited by the other VOCs, and substrate interaction parameters estimated in the model indicated that styrene was the strongest inhibitor for the benzene and toluene biodegradation. Meanwhile, the biodegradation of p-xylene and styrene was stimulated by the presence of either benzene or toluene. The biodegradation rate of p-xylene was significantly increased especially by the presence of toluene, and the styrene biodegradation was enhanced greatly by the benzene addition. The results of the substrate interaction by the yeast strain suggest that the biodegradation rates for the VOCs in mixtures should be carefully evaluated. Furthermore, the competitive inhibition coefficient could be applied as a useful index to determine the substrate interaction

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.83-86
• /
• 1995

In the course of screening for new aminopeptidase M inhibitors which were expected to be analgesic, immunopotentiating, or anti-metastatic agents, the novel synthetic substance MR-387C[(2S,3R)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoyl-L-valyl-L-prolyl-L-leucine] (M.W. 504 daltons) was obtained. It was competitive with the substrate and had an $IC_{50}$ value of $0.04\;{\mu}m/ml$ ($7.9{\times}10^{-8}\;M$) and an inhibition constant ($K_i$) of $3.8{\times}10^{-8}\;M$. This novel MR-387C was compared with various known inhibitors of aminopeptidase M. It inhibited the enzyme more strongly than any other microorganism-originated inhibitor, except probestin.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.447-452
• /
• 1994

The strain SL-387 which produces new inhibitors of aminopeptidase M, MR-387A and B, was isolated from a soil sample. The strain has branched substrate mycelia, from which aerial hyphae develop in the form of open spirals. Spore surface is smooth. Melanoid and soluble pigme- nts were observed. The isolate contains LL-diaminopimelic acid in its cell wall hydrolysate, and has no pectinolytic activity. The strain SL-387 is closely related to Streptomyces griseoruber and S. naganishii, but is different from these strains in some cultural and physiological characteristics. This strain was, therefore, designated as Streptomyces sp. SL-387. The effects of several carbon and nitrogen sources on the production of the inhibitor were examined. Among them, glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose were effective as a carbon source and soybean meal, soytone, fish meal, and gluten meal were effective as a nitrogen source. The maximum peak of the inhibitor production in jar fermentor was obtained on the fifth day of culture.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.225-231
• /
• 1997

Elastase inhibitor (EI) producing microorganisms were screened by microplate-assay of culture broth using Succinyl-$(Alanine)_3$-Nitroanilide as a chromogenic substrate. The portion of microorganisms showed EI activity above 90% was about 2% of all assayed. Isolated SMF-11 showed relatively high EI activity after filtration using membrane filter of NMWL 3,000. SMF-11 was identified as Streptomyces sp. according to results of morphological or physicochemical identification. SMF-11 has both rectiflexible and spiral spore chains with smooth spore surface and cell wall contained LL-DAP, iso- and anteiso-fatty acids. The amino acids in cell wall were alanine, glutamic acid and glycine. Fifty unit characters for major cluster were tested and the data were analyzed numerically using the TAXON program. The isolate SMF-11 was identified as a strain of Streptomyces lavendulae.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.31 no.9
• /
• pp.2607-2612
• /
• 2010

Human tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is a valuable thrombolytic agent used to successfully treat acute myocardial infarction, thromboembolic stroke, peripheral arterial occlusion, and venous thromboembolism. Recombinant tPA is accumulated as an inactive form in inclusion bodies of E. coli and is refolded in vitro, which is accompanied by extensive aggregation. In the present study, a tPA protease domain was expressed in an active soluble form in the cytosol of E. coli Rosetta-gami cells, which allowed disulfide bond formation and supplied the tRNA molecules required for six rarely used codons in E. coli. This strategy increased the amount of soluble protease domain protein and avoided the cumbersome refolding process. The purified protease domain not only degraded tPA substrate peptides but also formed a covalently bound complex with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, as does full-length tPA. Soluble expression and purification of tPA domains may aid in functional analyses of this multi-domain protein, which has been implicated in many physiological and pathological processes.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.201-205
• /
• 1990

The characteristics of steroid acyl transferase were studied in the rat brain with (4-14C)-dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA). The results could be summarized as followings: The enzyme system responsible for the biosynthesis was localized at the microsome fraction. The optimum pH of this enzyme was 4.6 When DHEA was utilized as substrate, $\Delta$5-pregnenolone was proved to be a competitive inhibitor. However testosterone was a noncompetitive inhibitor. The acylation at 3${\beta}$-hydroxyl group was favored when the hydrophilicity at Cl7 position increased. However, this acylation at C3 was very low when A ring was aromatic. The acylation at Cl7 hydroxyl group reguired an absolute 17${\beta}$-conformation.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.43.1-43.13
• /
• 2023

Melanin is synthesized by tyrosinase to protect the skin from ultraviolet light. However, overproduction and accumulation of melanin can result in hyperpigmentation and skin melanoma. Tyrosinase inhibitors are commonly used in the treatment of hyperpigmentation. Natural tyrosinase inhibitors are often favoured over synthetic ones due to the potential side effects of the latter, which can include skin irritation, allergies, and other adverse reactions. Nuciferine, an alkaloid derived from Nelumbo nucifera, exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties. This study focused on the in silico screening of nuciferine for anti-tyrosinase activity, using kojic acid, ascorbic acid, and resorcinol as standards. The tyrosinase protein target was selected through homology modeling. The residues of the substrate binding pocket and active site pockets were identified for the purposes of grid box optimization and docking. Therefore, nuciferine is a potent natural tyrosinase inhibitor and shows promising potential for application in the treatment of hyperpigmentation and skin melanoma.