• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2005

HtrA2/Omi is a mammalian mitochondrial serine protease homologous to the E. coli HtrA/DegP gene products. Recently, HtrA2/Omi was found to have a dual role in mammalian cells, acting as an apoptosis-inducing protein and being involved in maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. By screening a human brain cDNA library with $A{\beta}$ peptide as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system, we identified HtrA2/Omi as a binding partner of $A{\beta}$ peptide. The interaction between $A{\beta}$ peptide and HtrA2/Omi was confirmed by an immunoblot binding assay. The possible involvement of HtrA2/Omi in $A{\beta}$ peptide metabolism was investigated. In vitro peptide cleavage assays showed that HtrA2/Omi did not directly promote the production of $A{\beta}$ peptide at the ${\beta}/{\gamma}$-secretase level, or the degradation of $A{\beta}$ peptide. However, overexpression of HtrA2/Omi in K269 cells decreased the production of $A{\beta}40$ and $A{\beta}42$ by up to 30%. These results rule out the involvement of HtrA2/Omi in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. However, the fact that overexpression of HtrA2/Omi reduces the generation of $A{\beta}40$ and $A{\beta}42$ suggests that it may play some positive role in mammalian cells.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.13.1-13.8
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• 2018

Amyloid plaque, also called senile plaque, the product of aggregation of ${\beta}$-amyloid peptides ($A{\beta}$), is observed in brains of the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is one of the key factors in etiology of the disease. In this study, hydrolysates obtained from the sea hare (Aplysia kurodai) were investigated for ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory peptide. The sea hare's muscle protein was hydrolyzed using six enzymes in a batch reactor. Trypsin hydrolysate had highest ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity compared to the other hydrolysates. ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory peptide was separated using Sephadex G-25 column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography on a C18 column. ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory peptide was identified as eight amino acid residues of Val-Ala-Ala-Leu-Met-Leu-Phe-Asn by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. $IC_{50}$ value of purified ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory peptide was $74.25{\mu}M$, and Lineweaver-Burk plots suggested that the peptide purified from sea hare muscle protein acts as a competitive inhibitor against ${\beta}$-secretase. Results of this study suggest that peptides derived from sea hare muscle may be beneficial as anti-dementia compounds in functional foods or as pharmaceuticals.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.838-842
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• 2004

Amyloid peptide (A${\beta}$) is the major component of senile plaques found in the brain of patient of Alzheimer's disease. ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide (25-35) (A${\beta}$25-35) is biologically active fragment of A${\beta}$. The three-dimensional structure of A${\beta}$25-35 in aqueous solution with 50% (vol/vol) TFE determined by NMR spectroscopy previously adopts an ${\alpha}$-helical conformation from $Ala^{30}$ to $Met^{35}$. It has been proposed that A${\beta}$(25-35) exhibits pH- and concentration-dependent ${\alpha}-helix{\leftrightarrow}{\beta}$sheet transition. This conformational transition with concomitant peptide aggregation is a possible mechanism of plaque formation. Here, in order to gain more insight into the mechanism of ${\alpha}$-helix formation of A${\beta}$25-35 peptide by TFE, which particularly stabilizes ${\alpha}$-helical conformation, we studied the secondary-structural elements of A${\beta}$25-35 peptide by molecular dynamics simulations. Secondary structural elements determined from NMR spectroscopy in aqueous TFE solution are preserved during the MD simulation. TFE/water mixed solvent has reduced capacity for forming hydrogen bond to the peptide compared to pure water solvent. TFE allows A${\beta}$25-35 to form bifurcated hydrogen bonds to TFE as well as to residues in peptide itself. MD simulation in this study supports the notion that TFE can act as an ${\alpha}$-helical structure forming solvent.

• Journal of Chitin and Chitosan
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2018

Amyloid plaque is a product of aggregation of ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide ($A{\beta}$) and is an important factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). $A{\beta}$ is a major component of amyloid plaque and vascular deposits in the AD brain. The enzyme ${\beta}$-secretase is required for the production of $A{\beta}$; thus, prevention of the formation of $A{\beta}$ through the inhibition of ${\beta}$-secretase is a major focus in the study of the treatment of AD. In this study, we investigated ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity of an Arctoscopus japonicus peptide. An Alcalase hydrolysate had the highest ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity. A ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity peptide was separated using ion exchange column chromatography (carboxy-methyl: CM, quaternary methyl ammonium: QMA) and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C18 column. The $IC_{50}$ value of the purified peptide was $248.2{\pm}1.73{\mu}g/mL$. The ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory peptide was identified as a six amino acid residue of Gly-Pro-Val-Gly-Ala-Pro (MW: 497.27 Da). In cell viability experiments, the final purified fraction, the carboxy-methyl ion exchange column fraction (CM-F1) showed no significant cytotoxic effect in SH-SY5Y cells at concentrations below $100{\mu}g/mL$ in 24 h. The results of this study suggest that peptides separated from Arctoscopus japonicus may be beneficial as ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitor compounds in functional foods.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.99-103
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• 2010

Background: Glycogen synthase kinase $3{\beta}$ ($GSK3{\beta}$) is a ubiquitous serine/threonine kinase that is regulated by serine phosphorylation at 9. Recent studies have reported the beneficial effects of a number of the pharmacological $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitors in rodent models of septic shock. Since most of the $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitors are targeted at the ATP-binding site, which is highly conserved among diverse protein kinases, the development of novel non-ATP competitive $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitors is needed. Methods: Based on the unique phosphorylation motif of $GSK3{\beta}$, we designed and generated a novel class of $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitor (GSK3i) peptides. In addition, we investigated the effects of a GSK3i peptide on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine production and septic shock. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with GSK3i peptide and monitored over a 7-day period for survival. Results: We first demonstrate its effects on LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12p40. LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-12p40 production in macrophages was suppressed when macrophages were treated with the GSKi peptide. Administration of the GSK3i peptide potently suppressed LPS-mediated endotoxin shock. Conclusion: Collectively, we present a rational strategy for the development of a therapeutic GSK3i peptide. This peptide may serve as a novel template for the design of non-ATP competitive GSK3 inhibitors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.245-255
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• 2012

Amyloid-${\beta}$ peptide ($A{\beta}$) is still best known as a molecule to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD) through accumulation and deposition within the frontal cortex and hippocampus in the brain. Thus, strategies on developing AD drugs have been focused on the reduction of $A{\beta}$ in the brain. Since accumulation of $A{\beta}$ depends on the rate of its synthesis and clearance, the metabolic pathway of $A{\beta}$ in the brain and the whole body should be carefully explored for AD research. Although the synthetic pathway of $A{\beta}$ is equally important, we summarize primarily the clearance pathway in this paper because the former has been extensively reviewed in previous studies. The clearance of $A{\beta}$ from the brain is accomplished by several mechanisms which include non-enzymatic and enzymatic pathways. Nonenzymatic pathway includes interstitial fluid drainage, uptake by microglial phagocytosis, and transport across the blood vessel walls into the circulation. Multiple $A{\beta}$-degrading enzymes (ADE) implicated in the clearance process have been identified, which include neprilysin, insulin-degrading enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase-9, glutamate carboxypeptidase II and others. A series of studies on $A{\beta}$ clearance mechanism provide new insight into the pathogenesis of AD at the molecular level and suggest a new target for the development of novel therapeutics.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.303-309
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• 1994

The analysis of membrane receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters has progressed considerably by pharmacological and biochemical means and more recently through the use of specific antibodies. Two kinds of antibodies could be produced, one is from synthetic peptides and the other from proteins such as purified receptor. Anti-peptide antibodies gave some advantages; epitope is evident and also receptor purification in quantity is not prerequisite. It can be also applied to the study of receptor structure-activity relationship. The purpose of the present study was 1) to produce and characterize a polyclonal antibody against a synthetic $\beta$2-adrenergic receptor peptide(Phe-Gly-Asn-Phe-Trp-Cys-Phe-Trp-Thr-Ser-Ile-Asp-Val-Leu) and 2) to determine the effects of this antibody on the $\beta$-adrenergic receptor ligand interaction. The peptide sequence contains an amino acid residue such as Asp-113 which was identified as one of important component for receptor-ligand interaction in site-directed mutagenesis studies. Production of antibody was performed by immunization of rabbits through popliteal lymph node with the peptide coupled with Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH). The titer of antibody against this peptide was 1 : 1000. The anti-peptide antibody was able to detect a 67 kDa protein band in western blot corresponding to the molecular weight of the $\beta$-adrenergic receptor in partially purified receptor fraction derived from guinea pig lung. The antisera inhibited the specific binding of [$^3$H]dihydroalprenolol to $\beta$-adrenergic receptor in a concentration-dependent manner. The results from this study suggest that the peptide sequence selected in the present study is important for the receptor ligand interaction.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2006

Vitellogenin, which is found in the serum of female and male fishes exposed to environmental endocrine disrupter or estrogen hormone, is used as a biomarker for environmental contamination with an endocrine disrupter. In order to produce antibody against vitellogenin, a synthetic peptide for partial vitellogenin was injected into rabbits. In addition, by using ion exchange chromatography on DE-52, vitellogenin was purified from the serum of carp induced with $17{\beta}$-estradiol. Polyclonal antibody against purified vitellogenin reacted well with vitellogenin in the serum of carp induced with $17{\beta}$-estradiol and the serum of female carp, whereas polyclonal antibody against the vitellogenin peptide did not react with proteins in those samples. This may indicate that vitellogenin proteins, covalently modified largely, could not be detected by Western blotting with the polyclonal antibody against the synthetic vitellogenin peptide.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2000

PMAP-23 is a 23-residue antimicrobial peptide derived from porcine myloid cells. In order to investigate the effects of two Pro residues at positions 12 and 15 of PMAP-23 on antibiotic activity, two analogues in which Ala was substituted for Pro residue at position 12 or 15 were synthesized. $Pro^{12}{\rightarrow}Ala$ (PMAPl) or $Pro^{15}{\rightarrow}Ala$(PMAP2) substitution in PMAP-23 caused a significant reduction on antitumor and phospholipid vesicle-disrupting activities, but did not cause a significant effect on antibacterial activity. PMAP-23 displayed the type I ${\beta}-turn$ structure with a negative ellipticity at near 205 om in SDS micelle, whereas PMAP1 and PMAP2 had a somewhat ${\alpha}-helical$ propensity in TFE solution, as compared to PMAP-23. These results suggest that two Pro residues of positions 12 and 15 in PMAP-23 play important roles in the formation of ${\beta}-turn$ structure on lipid membrane and its ${\beta}-turn$ structure may be essential for antibiotic activity including phospholipid vesicle-disrupting property.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.489-494
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• 2008

In order to develop a potent antidementia $\beta$-secretase inhibitor from phytochemicals, $\beta$-secretase inhibitory activities of extracts from many medicinal plants and herbs were determined. Water extracts from Rubus coreanus showed the highest $\beta$-secretase inhibitory activity of 84.5%. After purification of the $\beta$-secretase inhibitor from R. coreanus using systematic solvent extraction, ultrafiltration, Sephadex G-10 column chromatography, and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), a purified $\beta$-secretase inhibitor with $IC_{50}$ inhibitory activity of $6.3{\times}10^3\;ng/mL$ ($1.56{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$ was obtained with a 0.08% solid yield. The molecular mass of the purified $\beta$-secretase inhibitor was estimated to be 576 Da by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and $\beta$-secretase inhibitor also is a new tetrapeptide with the sequence Gly-Trp-Trp-Glu. The purified $\beta$-secretase inhibitory peptide inhibited $\beta$-secretase non-competitively and also show less inhibition on trypsin, however no inhibition on other proteases such as $\alpha$-secretase, chymotrypsin, and elastase.