• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.12
• /
• pp.1410-1414
• /
• 2017

Escherichia coli tryptophan synthase (TS) contains ${\alpha}_2{\beta}_2$, which catalyzes the final two steps in Trp biosynthesis. A molecular tunnel exists between the two active sites of ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ subunits in TS. Via intersubunit communication, TS increases catalytic efficiency, including substrate channeling. The ${\beta}$ subunit of TS is composed of two domains, one of which, the COMM (communication) domain, plays an important role in intersubunit communication. The ${\alpha}$ subunit has a TIM barrel structure. This protein has functional regions at the C terminal of ${\beta}$ pleated sheets and in its loop regions. Three regions of the ${\alpha}$ subunit (${\alpha}L6$ [${\alpha}-loop$ L6], ${\alpha}L2$, and ${\alpha}L3$) are implicated in intersubunit communication. In the present study, conformational changes in ${\alpha}L6$ were monitored by measuring the sensitivity of mutant proteins in these regions to trypsin. The addition of a ${\alpha}$ subunit-specific ligand, D,L-${\alpha}$-glycerophosphate (GP), partially restored the sensitivity of mutant proteins to trypsin. In contrast, the addition of the ${\beta}$ subunit-specific ligand L-serine (Ser) resulted in varied sensitivity to trypsin, with an increase in PT53 (substitution of Pro with Thr at residue 53) and DG56, decrease in NS104 and wild type, and no change in GD51 and PH53. This finding may be related to several reaction intermediates formed under this condition. The addition of both GP and Ser led to a highly stable state of the complex. The present results are consistent with the current model. The method used herein may be useful for screening residues involved in intersubunit communication.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.333-341
• /
• 2018

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors are used as a treatment in various immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Tuberculosis (TB) risk is reported in several meta-analyses in patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitors. The purpose of this study is to collect, review, and evaluate the TB risk in TNF-alpha inhibitors according to IMIDs indications and between soluble-receptor TNF-alpha inhibitor and monoclonal-antibody TNF-alpha inhibitors. Methods: A systematic literature search on systematic reviews and meta-analyses was performed in PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and EMBASE. We identified meta-analyses that evaluated TB infection risk of TNF-alpha inhibitors in IMIDs patients. Results: Thirteen meta-analyses including 41 study results were included in this umbrella review. IMIDs patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitors had an increased risk of TB than control group (placebo with or without standard therapy patients) (relative risk ratio (RR) 2.057, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.697 to 2.495). Among them, RA patients with TNF-alpha inhibitors had a higher risk of TB than control group (RR 1.847, 95% CI 1.385 to 2.464), and non-RA patients with TNF-alpha inhibitors had an increased risk of TB (RR 2.236, 95% CI 1.284 to 3.894). In subgroup analysis on TB risk between soluble-receptor TNF-alpha inhibitor and monoclonal-antibody TNF-alpha inhibitors in RA patients, the analysis indicated that monoclonal-antibody TNF-alpha inhibitors had higher risk of TB than soluble-receptor TNF-alpha inhibitor (RR 2.880, 95% CI 1.730 to 4.792). Conclusion: This umbrella review confirms that the risk of TB is significantly increased in TNF-alpha inhibitor treated patients compared to control group.

• Journal of the Chungcheong Mathematical Society
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.99-108
• /
• 2010

In this paper, we define the $M_{\alpha}$-integral and investigate properties of the $M_{\alpha}$-integral.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 1997

We figure out geometric properties of the Julia set $J_{\alpha}$ of cubic complex polynomial $C_{\alpha}(z)=z^3 + {\alpha}z(\alpha \epsilon \mathbb{C})$ and the smallest ellipse which surrounds $J_{\alpha}$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.1844-1854
• /
• 2017

Trichomonas vaginalis is a pathogen that triggers severe immune responses in hosts. T. vaginalis ${\alpha}$-actinin 2 ($Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2) has been used to diagnose trichomoniasis. $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 was dissected into three parts; the N-terminal, central, and C-terminal portions of the protein (#1, #2, and #3, respectively). Western blot of these $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 proteins with pooled patients' sera indicated that #2 and #3, but not #1, reacted with those sera. Immunofluorescence assays of two different forms of T. vaginalis (trophozoites and amoeboid forms), using anti-$Tv{\alpha}$- actinin 2 antibodies, showed localization of $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 close to the plasma membranes of the amoeboid form. Fractionation experiments indicated the presence of $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 in cytoplasmic, membrane, and secreted proteins of T. vaginalis. Binding of fluorescence-labeled Trichomonas to vaginal epithelial cells and prostate cells was decreased in the antibody blocking experiment using anti-$Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 antibodies. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with anti-$rTv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 antibodies also resulted in reduction in its cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry, ligand-binding immunoblotting assay, and observation by fluorescence microscopy were used to detect the binding of recombinant $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 to human epithelial cell lines. Specifically, the truncated N-terminal portion of $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2, $Tv{\alpha}$-actinin 2 #1, was shown to bind directly to vaginal epithelial cells. These data suggest that ${\alpha}$-actinin 2 is one of the virulence factors responsible for the pathogenesis of T. vaginalis by serving as an adhesin to the host cells.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.292-296
• /
• 2004

The recombinant soluble human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (hTNF-$\alpha$) was expressed in a yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its cytotoxicity was evaluated. A cDNA encoding hTNF-$\alpha$ was placed under the control of two different promoters: a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter and a yeast hybrid ADH2-GPD promoter, consisting of alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2) and the GPD promoter. A Northern blot analysis revealed that, although variation in the expression level of hTNF-$\alpha$ existed among transformants, the higher expression was obtained with the GPD promoter. Expressed hTNF-$\alpha$ protein (rhTNF-$\alpha$) was successfully secreted into the culture medium, producing 2.5 mg per liter of culture filtrate, with no changes in cell growth. The bioassay for observing the cytotoxicity to the murine L929 fibroblast cell line, with serial dilution of rhTNF-$\alpha$, indicated that the secreted rhTNF-$\alpha$ was bioactive and its dose-response was improved eight to ten times over that of the E. coli-derived rhTNF-$\alpha$.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.137-143
• /
• 1998

Glycosides were synthesized using transglycosylation reaction of amylase in water system. The glycosides synthesized in water phase by a-amylase with starch as a glycosyl donor and benzylalcohol as an acceptor were identified as benzylalcohol-${\alpha}$-glucoside (BG) and benzylalcohol-${\alpha}$-maltoside (BM) of which one molecule of benzylalcohol was bound to 1-OH of glucose. The final products were BG in reaction system of pH 5.0, and BM in that of pH 8.0. The transglycosylation reaction by ${\alpha}$-amylase were carried out in water system containing 50 mg starch, 50 mg benzylalcohol, and 10 units enzyme at $30-35^{\circ}C$ for 3 days. The synthesized BG was hydrolyzed to glucose and benzylalcohol by ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, while ${\alpha}$-amylase hydrolyzed BM to glucose and benzylalcohol-${\alpha}$-glucoside in pH 5.0. Maltotriose resemble structurally to BM was rapidly hydrolyzed to glucose and maltose by ${\alpha}$-amylase at pH 5.0, being slightly hydrolyzed at pH 8.0, but not transglycosylated in present of benzylalcohol.

• Journal of Aquaculture
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.97-107
• /
• 1994

Experimental diets containing 5 different levels of a-cellulose $(0\%,\;5\%,\;10\%,\;15\%\;or\;20\%)$ were fed to juvenile Korean rockfish (20.5g of initial mean weight) for 10 weeks to study their ability to utilize dietary $\alpha-cellulose$. Weight gain, feed efficiency, and protein and energy retention efficiency in the fish fed diets containing $0\%,\;5\%,\;or\;10\%$ of $\alpha-cellulose$ were significantly higher than those in the fish fed diets containing $15\%\;or\;20\%$ of $\alpha-cellulose$ (P<0.05). Whole body lipid content of the fish fed $10\%$ $\alpha-cellulose$ diet were significantly higher than that of fish fed other diets (P<0.05). The results suggest that the optimum dietary fiber levels for Korean rockfish would be less than $10\%$.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.253-260
• /
• 2012

${\alpha}$-Mangostin is a xanthon derivative contained in the fruit hull of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.), and the administration of ${\alpha}$-Mangostin inhibited the growth of transplanted colon cancer, Her/CT26 cells which expressed Her-2/neu as tumor antigen. Although ${\alpha}$-Mangostin was reported to have inhibitory activity against sarco/endoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}$ ATPase like thapsigargin, it showed different activity for autophagy regulation. In the current study, we found that ${\alpha}$-Mangostin induced autophagy activation in mouse intestinal epithelial cells, as GFP-LC3 transgenic mice were orally administered with 20 mg/kg of ${\alpha}$-Mangostin daily for three days. However, the activation of autophagy by ${\alpha}$-Mangostin did not significantly increase OVA-specific T cell proliferation. As we assessed ER stress by using XBP-1 reporter system and phosphorylation of $eIF2{\alpha}$, thapsigargin-induced ER stress was significantly reduced by ${\alpha}$-Mangostin. However, coadministration of thapsigargin with ${\alpha}$-Mangostin completely blocked the antitumor activity of ${\alpha}$-Mangostin, suggesting ER stress with autophagy blockade accelerated tumor growth in mouse colon cancer model. Thus the antitumor activity of ${\alpha}$-Mangostin can be ascribable to the autophagy activation rather than ER stress induction.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.374-382
• /
• 2001

Lactoferrin(Lf) has the function of modulation in the host defense systems, including cytokine production and immune responses. We have tested the effect of Lf and Lf ydrolysates(Lf-H) on the productions of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$(TNF-${\alpha}$) and nitric oxide(NO) in macrophage cells. Lf from Korean native cattle(K-Lf) and hydrolyzed K-Lf(K-Lf-H) increased the production of TNF-${\alpha}$ in RAW264.7 cells with dose-dependency. Bovine Lf(B-Lf), human Lf(H-Lf), and its hydrolysates did not induce either TNF-${\alpha}$ production or NO production. On the other hand those didn\`t affect on the production of TNF-${\alpha}$ in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. K-Lf induced the production of NO similar to its role on the TNF-${\alpha}$ production.