• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.90-96
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• 1999

The core protein of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a multifunctional protein. The HCV core protein was reported to regulate cellular gene expression and transform primary rat embryo fibroblast cells. However, the role of the core protein in the pathogenesis of HCV-associated liver diseases is not well understood. To investigate the functional role of the core protein in cytophathogenicity, we have constructed stable expression systems of full length or truncated HCV core protein lacking the C-terminal hyderophobic domains and established HepG2 cell clones constitutively expressing the core protein. The full length core protein was localized in the cytoplasm and the C-terminal truncated core protein was localized in the nucleus. HepG2 cells expressing nuclear, truncated core protein showed elevated cell death during cultivation compared to untransfected cells and full length core-expressing cells. In the treatment with bleomycin, both cell clones expressing full length or truncated core protein appeared to be more sensitive to blemoycin than the parental HepG2 cells. These results suggest that the core protein may play a role in HCV pathogenesis promoting apoptotic cell death of infected cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.289-293
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• 2005

BAF53 is an actin-related protein that shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm. In the nucleus, it constitutes an integral component of many chromatin-modifying complexes such as the SWI/SNF, TIP60, TRRAP, and TIP48/49 complexes. BAF53 is essential for growth, but its function remains elusive. BAF53 homologues from yeast to humans have a conserved N-terminal motif, MS_(G/A)(G/A)__(V/L)YGG, which is unique to these proteins. Previously we showed that over-expression of an N-terminal deletion mutant of BAF53 ($BAF53_-{\Delta}N$) reduced the viability of HEK293 and HeLa cells. When we replaced the serine 2 and tyrosine 6 of this N-terminal motif with alanine, over-expression of the alanine-replaced BAF53 strongly impaired the growth of HEK293 cells whereas replacement with aspartate/glutamate had no effect. The alanine-replaced BAF53 mutants also stimulated p53-dependent transcription, in which the SWI/SNF and TRRAP complexes are involved. Our results demonstrate that serine 2 and tyrosine 6 play important roles in BAF53 activity.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권9호
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• pp.487-488
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• 2015

The ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy lysosome system are the two major protein degradation machineries in eukaryotic cells. These two systems coordinate the removal of unwanted intracellular materials, but the mechanism by which they achieve this synchronization is largely unknown. The ubiquitination of substrates serves as a universal degradation signal for both systems. Our study revealed that the amino-terminal Arg, a canonical N-degron in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, also acts as a degradation signal in autophagy. We showed that many ER residents, such as BiP, contain evolutionally conserved arginylation permissive pro-N-degrons, and that certain inducers like dsDNA or proteasome inhibitors cause their translocation into the cytoplasm where they bind misfolded proteins and undergo amino-terminal arginylation by arginyl transferase 1 (ATE1). The amino-terminal Arg of BiP binds p62, which triggers p62 oligomerization and enhances p62-LC3 interaction, thereby stimulating autophagic delivery and degradation of misfolded proteins, promoting cell survival. This study reveals a novel ubiquitin-independent mechanism for the selective autophagy pathway, and provides an insight into how these two major protein degradation pathways communicate in cells to dispose the unwanted proteins. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(9): 487-488]

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.256-261
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• 2011

PEP-1 peptide has been used for transduction of native protein into mammalian cells. This work describes the findings that the fusion of PEP-1 to target proteins led to protein truncation likely in a non-protein-specific manner. Approximately 75% of PEP-1-MsrA fusion protein was truncated in the N-terminal region of MsrA between Lys-27 and Val-28 during expression in Escherichia coli and purification. This large protein truncation was also observed in another PEP-1 fused protein, PEP-1-MsrB2, in the N-terminal region of MsrB2. The full-length PEP-1-MsrA protein was rapidly transduced into keratinocyte cells within 15 min. The transduced PEP-1-MsrA was functionally active and could protect skin cells against oxidative stress- and ultraviolet radiation-induced cell death. Collectively, our data demonstrated the protective roles of MsrA in skin cells and, moreover, may raise a concern of protein truncation caused by fusion of PEP-1 about the general use of this peptide for protein transduction.

• 한국생물물리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국생물물리학회 2003년도 정기총회 및 학술발표회
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• pp.41-41
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• 2003

Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (or SKCa channels) are potassium selective, voltage-independent, and activated by intracellular calcium concentration. These channels play important roles in excitable cells such as neuron in the central nervous system (Vergara et al., 1998). The activity of SKCa channels underlies the slow afterhyperpolarization that inhibits neuronal cell firing (Hille, 1991; Vergara et al.,1998). Until now, N-terminal region of rSK2 isn't characterized. To study the role of N-terminus, we constructed the N-terminal deletion mutant and characterized by electrophysiological means. Interestingly, N-terminal deletion mutant be trafficked to membrane couldn't evoke any ionic currents. Thus, N-terminal region has a role in functional rSK2 channel formation. To elucidate the function of N-terminal region, (His)6-conjugated protein was purified and filtrated by affinity column chromatography. Surprisingly, N-terminal region was shown in tetramer size that was supported by cross-linking result. Thus, we predicted that N-terminal region might be involved in the tetramerization of rSK2.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.105-110
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• 2003

Ankyrins are a ubiquitously expressed family of intracellular adaptor proteins involved in targeting diverse proteins to specialized membrane domains in both the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum. Canonical ankyrins are 190-220 kDa proteins expressed in most tissues and cell types and comprise a membrane-binding domain (MBD) of 24 ANK repeats, a spectrin-binding domain, a death domain and a C-terminal domain. Rescue studies with ankyrin-B/G chimeras have identified the C-terminal domain of ankyrin-B as the defining domain in specifying ankyrin-B activity, but the function of C-terminal domain of ankyrin-B is, however, not known. We report here that the C-terminal domain of ankyrin-B is capable of interacting with the C-terminal Region of Hsp40. The Hsps are induced not only by heat shock but also by various other environmental stresses. Hsps are also expressed constitutively at normal growth temperatures and have basic and indispensable functions in the life cycle of proteins as molecular chaperones, as well as playing a role in protecting cells from the deleterious stresses. The binding sites required in the interaction between C-terminal domain of ankyrin-B and C-terminal region of Hsp40 were characterized using the yeast two-hybrid system and GST-pull down assay. The interaction between ankyrin-B and Hsp40 represents the first direct evidence of ankyrin's role as chaperones.

• 산업기술연구
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• 제21권B호
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• pp.257-263
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• 2001

Terminal paging is the process of determining the exact location of a particular mobile terminal. The paging cost is related to the number of paging cycles and the number of cells being polled by each cycle. In this paper, we first analyze the performance of various terminal paging strategies in terms of the number of polling cycles and the number of polling signals. Then we present a paging scheme which combines Shortest-Distance-First with movement history list. Simulation results show that the proposed paging scheme reduces the number of polling signals as well as the number of polling cycles.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.173-179
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• 2005

Cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) seems to function as a negative regulator of the c-Jun $NH_2-terminal$ kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. We demonstrate here that the activity of the PKA catalytic subunit (PKAc) is reduced in apoptotic PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Apoptotic progress was inhibited by dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP), an analog of cAMP. The rescue by dbcAMP was attributable to inhibition of the JNK but not of the p38 signaling pathway, due to the induction of PKA activity. JNK was present in immunocomplexes of PKAc, and PKAc phosphorylated JNK in vitro. Presence of p38 kinase, however, was not prominent in immunocomplexes of PKAc. Our data suggest that JNK is a target point of negative regulation by PKAc in the JNK signaling pathway.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제38권9호
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• pp.814-820
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• 2015

PinX1, a nucleolar protein of 328 amino acids, inhibits telomerase activity, which leads to the shortening of telomeres. The C-terminal region of PinX1 is responsible for its nucleolar localization and binding with TERT, a catalytic component of telomerase. A fraction of TERT localizes to the nucleolus, but the role of TERT in the nucleolus is largely unknown. Here, we report a functional connection between PinX1 and TERT regarding PinX1 stability. The C-terminal of $PinX1^{205-328}$, a nucleolar fragment, was much more stable than the N-terminal of $PinX1^{1-204}$, a nuclear fragment. Interestingly, PinX1 was less stable in TERT-depleted cells and more stable in TERT-myc expressing cells. Stability assays for PinX1 truncation forms showed that both $PinX1^{1-328}$ and $PinX1^{205-328}$, nucleolar forms, were more rapidly degraded in TERT-depleted cells, while they were more stably maintained in TERT-overexpressing cells, compared to each of the controls. However, $PinX1^{1-204}$ was degraded regardless of the TERT status. These results reveal that the stability of PinX1 is maintained in nucleolus in the presence of TERT and suggest a role of TERT in the regulation of PinX1 steady-state levels.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.57-68
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• 2005

Murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells are widely used to study erythroid differentiation thanks to their ability to terminally differentiate in vitro in response to chemical induction. At the molecular level, not much is known of their terminal differentiation apart from activation of adult-type globin gene expression. We examined changes in gene expression during the terminal differentiation of these cells using microarray-based technology. We identified 180 genes whose expression changed significantly during differentiation. The microarray data were analyzed by hierarchical and k-means clustering and confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. We identified several genes including H1f0, Bnip3, Mgl2, ST7L, and Cbll1 that could be useful markers for erythropoiesis. These genetic markers should be a valuable resource both as potential regulators in functional studies of erythroid differentiation, and as straightforward cell type markers.