• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2022

Thymosin β-4 (TB4) is a small peptide composed of 43 amino acids. To obtain sufficient biologically active mouse TB4 economically, we cloned and overexpressed this gene in an Escherichia coli system. With the isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside induction of the E. coli transformant, TB4 fusion protein with intein- and chitin-binding domain was successfully expressed in the soluble fraction within the E. coli cell. The TB4-intein - chitin-binding domain fusion protein was purified from the soluble fraction of E. coli cell lysate. The affinity chromatography with chitin beads and dithiothreitol-mediated intein self-cleavage reaction releases the TB4 peptide into the stripping solution. Sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analyses were used to confirm that the recombinant TB4 peptide was produced with the expected size of 5 kDa. We found that the recombinant TB4 stimulated cell migration in the transwell plate chamber assay. After 18 hr of the treatment of the recombinant TB4 with 1 ng/ml concentration, the migration of the HT1080 cell was increased by 20% compared with that of the chemically synthesized TB4. The recombinant TB4 was also observed to promote the healing of a wound area in C57BL/6 mice by as high as 35% compared with that of the chemically synthesized TB4. These results suggest that the recombinant TB4 has better biological activity for cell migration and wound healing than that of the chemically synthesized TB4 peptide.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.275-282
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• 1993

Liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) is active in the detoxification of epoxide-containing reactive intermediate. Previous studies in this laboratory have shown that thiazole and pyrazine are efficacious inducers of mEH in rats with large increases in mEH mRNA levels (Carcinogensis, Kim et al, 1993). mEH was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from thiazole-induced rat hepatic microsomes using DEAE-cellulose column chromatography whereas another protein $({\sim}43\;kDa)$ was co-purified with mEH from pyrazine-induced rat hepatic micrsomes (200 mg/kg body weight/day, ip, 3d). The antibody raised from a rabbit against mEH protein purified from thiazole-induced rat hepatic microsomes appeared to specifically recognize mEH protein in rat hepatic microsomes, as assessed by immunoblotting analysis. Immunoblotting analyses revealed a 10- and 7-fold increase in mEH levels in the hepatic microsomes isolated from thiazole- and pyrazine-treated rats, respectively. Moreover, immunoblotting analysis showed cross-reactivity of the mEH antibody with a 43 kDa protein in pyrazine-induced rat hepatic microsomes and with co-purified 43 kDa protein in purified fractions. The ratio between the 43 kDa protein and mEH in pyrazine-induced rat microsomes or in purified fractions was ${\sim}1$ to 15. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of both purified rat mEH and 43 kDa protein revealed that 10 out of 12 amino acids in N-terminus of the 43 kDa protein were identical with the mEH sequence with two amino acid residues of the 43 kDa protein undetermined. Either thiazole or pyrazine treatment, however, failed to increase the levels of mEH protein in rabbits while pyrazine caused elevation of the 43 kDa protein in this species, as determined by irnrnunoblotting analysis. These results demonstrated that treatment of rats with either thiazole or pyrazine causes elevation in hepatic mEH expiession whereas pyrazine treatment results in induction of another mEH-related 43 kDa protein and that a distinct species difference exists between rats and rabbits in the induction of mEH by these xenobiotics.