• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.695-703
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• 1999

We have studied the stereospecificities of various pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes for the hydrogen transfer between the C-4' of a bound coenzyme and the C-2 of a substrate in the transamination catalyzed by the enzymes. Stereospecificities reflect the structures of enzyme active-sites, in particular the geometrical relationship between the coenzyme-substrate Schiff base and the active site base participating in an $\alpha$-hydrogen abstraction. The PLP enzymes studied so far catalyze only a si-face specific (pro-S) hydrogen transfer. This stereochemical finding suggests that the PLP enzymes have the same topological active-site structures, and that the PLP enzymes have evolved divergently from a common ancestral protein. However, we found that o-amino acid aminotransferase, branched chain L-amino acid aminotransferase, and 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate lyase, which have significant sequence homology with one another, catalyze a re-face specific (pro-R) hydrogen transfer. We also showed that PLP-dependent amino acid racemases, which have no sequence homology with any aminotransferases, catalyze a non-stereospecific hydrogen transfer: the hydrogen transfer occurs on both faces of the planar intermediate. Crystallographical studies have shown that the catalytic base is situated on the re-face of the C-4' of the bound coenzyme in o-amino acid aminotransferase and branched chain L-amino acid aminotransferase, whereas the catalytic base is situated on the si-face in other aminotransferases (such as L-aspartate aminotransferase) catalyzing the si-face hydrogen transfer. Thus, we have clarified the stereospecificities of PLP enzymes in relation with the primary structures and three-dimensional structures of the enzymes. The characteristic stereospecificities of these enzymes for the hydrogen transfer suggest the convergent evolution of PLP enzymes.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2004

In N-type $Ca^{2＋}$ channels, the mechanism of inactivation - decline of inward current during a depolarizing voltage step- is still controversial between voltage-dependent inactivation and $Ca^{2＋}$ -dependent inactivation. In the previous paper we demonstrated that fast component of inactivation of N-type calcium channels does not involve classic $Ca^{2＋}$ -dependent mechanism and the slowly inactivating component could result from a $Ca^{2＋}$ -dependent process. However, there should be signal transduction pathway which enhances inactivation no matter what the inactivation mechanism is. We have investigated the effect of phosphorylation on calcium channels of rat sympathetic neurons. Intracellular dialysis with the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid markedly enhanced the inactivation. The rapidly inactivating component is N-type calcium current, which is blocked by $\omega$-conotoxin GVIA. Staurosporine, a nonselective protein kinase inhibitor, prevented the action of okadaic acid, suggesting that protein phosphorylation is involved. More specifically lavendustin C, inhibitor of CaM kinase II, prevented the action of okadaic acid, suggesting that calmodulin dependent pathway is involved in inactivation process. It is not certain to this point whether phosphorylation process is inactivation itself. Molecular biological research regarding binding site should be followed to address the question of how the divalent cation binding site is related to phoshorylation process.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.18 no.E4
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• pp.191-201
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• 2002

The pH, electric conductivity. and the major ionic components were analyzed for the precipitation samples collected at 1100 Site of Mt. Halla and Jeju city. The quality of analytical data was verified by the comparison of ion balances, conductivities and acid fractions, all of which correlation coefficients were over 0.952. The ionic strengths lower than 10$^{-4}$ M were found in 57 and 28% at 1100 Site and Jeju city respectively. The precipitation in Jeju city was influenced more by the oceanic effect than those in 1100 Site. The acidification of precipitation was caused mostly by S $O_4$$^{2-}$and N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ in both areas, and the organic acids have contributed to the acidity with only 7~8%. The neutralization factors by N $H_3$ were about 44 and 47％ at the 1100 site and the Jeju city, respectively, whereas those by CaC $O_3$were 21 and 24%, and the free acidity were about 38 and 28％ at two sites. From the investigation of seawater and soil enrichment factors, the S $O_4$$^{2-}$, N $O_3$$^{[-10]}$ and N $E_4$$^{+}$ were immigrated by other sources rather than from the seawater or soil origins. but not in the case of $Mg^{2+}$, C $l^{[-10]}$ , N $a^{+}$, and $K^{+}$. Factor analysis has shown that the precipitation at the 1100 site had been influenced mostly by anthropogenic sources, followed by soil and sea-water sources. On the other hand, the precipitation at the Jeju city was mainly influenced by oceanic sources, followed by anthropogenic and soil sources.urces.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.345-350
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• 2009

We have isolated and characterized a new insect chicken type (c-type) lysozyme gene from the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. The full-length cDNA of Spodoptera lysozyme is cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR (RACE-PCR). The isolated cDNA consists of 1039 bp including the coding region for a 142-amino acid residue polypeptide, which included a signal peptide of 21-amino acid residue and a mature protein of 121-amino acid residue. The predicted molecular weight of mature lysozyme and its theoretical isoelectric point from amino acid composition is 13964.8 Da and 9.05, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of Spodoptera lysozyme gene shows the highest similarity (96.7%) to Spodoptera exigua lysozyme among other lepidopteran species. Amino acid sequence comparison with other the c-type lysozymes, Spodoptera lysozyme has the completely conserved $Glu^{32}$ and $Asp^{50}$ of the active site and eight Cys residues are completely conserved in the same position as that of other lepidopteran lysozymes.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2001

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains two distinct superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, one in the cytosol encoded by the $sod2^{+}$ gene and the other in mitochondria. The $sod2^{+}$ gene encoding putative mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) was isolated from the S. pombe genomic library using a PCR fragment as the probe. The nucleotide sequence of the $sod2^{+}$ gene and its flanking region (4051 bp HindIII fragment) was determined. An intron of 123 nt in size was predicted and confirmed by sequencing the cDNA following reverse transcription PCR. The predicted Sod2p consists of 218 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 24,346 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence showed a high degree of homology with other MnSODs, especially in the metal binding residues at the active site and their relative positions. The transcriptional start site was mapped by primer extension at 231 at upstream from the ATG codon. A putative TATA box(TATAAAA) was located 58 nt upstream from the transcriptional start site and putative polyadenylation sites were located at 1000, 1062, and 1074 nt downstream from the ATG start codon.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 1979

The active site for the formation of acrolein in propylene oxidation reaction over copper(Ⅱ)-exchanged zeolite Y has been studied. At the early stage of the reaction, the formation of hydrocarbons was observed. The formation of hydrocarbons decreased gradually during the course of reaction, apparently due to the poisoning the Bronsted acid sites. The formation of acrolein was quite low when the formation of hydrocarbons was proceeding. The formation of acrolein was depend on the copper ion content and this can be related to the availability of the copper ions inside the supercage. It seems that it is the copper ion not the Bronsted acid site which is primarily responsible for the formation of acrolein.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.9-16
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• 2017

Toxic release is one of the most interested area in evaluating consequence to the vicinity of industry facilities handling hazardous materials. Chloric acid production facility is selected and toxic release is evaluated to assess the risk impacted to its off-site. Accident scenarios were listed using process safety information. The scenarios having effect to the off-site were selected and assessed further according to guideline provided by Korea government. Worst case and alternative scenarios including other interested scenarios were evaluated using ALOHA. Each evaluated scenario was assessed further considering countermeasures. The results showed that the facility handling chloric acid is safe enough and needed no further protections at the moment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.709-711
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• 2001

To elucidate the putative role of the amido group in the metal binding of the fuculose-1-phosphate aldolase from Methanococcus jannaschii, we have examined a potential targen using site-directed mutagenesis. The replacement of asparagine 25 with leucine or threonine was shown to have a negative effect, not only on catlytic efficiency, but also on substrage recognition as well. The Hill coefficient values yeilded a value of =1. All metals used with the wild-type aldolases exhibited higher activity than that of the mutants. The spectra of the mutants were quite different from the wild-type aldolase. A highly conserved amino acid of asparagine 25 in a related family of aldolase odes not appear to provide sufficient evidence for evolution.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.248-252
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• 2005

Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) catalyzes the reoxidation of dihydrolipoyl moiety of the acyltransferase components of three $\alpha$-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes and of the hydrogen-carrier protein of the glycine cleavage system. His-457 of Pseudomonas putida E3 is suggested to interact with the hydroxyl group of Tyr-18 of the other subunit and with Glu-446, a component in the last helical structure. To examine the importance of the suggested interactions in human E3 function, the corresponding residue of human E3, Asn-473, was substituted to Leu using site-directed mutagenesis. The E3 mutant was expressed in Escherichia coli and highly purified using an affinity column. Its E3 activity was decreased about 37-fold, indicating that Asn-473 residue was important to the efficient catalytic function of human E3. Its slightly altered spectroscopic properties implied that small conformational changes could occur in the E3 mutant.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 1997

Aspartase from Hafnia alvei was inactivated by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and 5,5' -Dithiobis-(2-znitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) following pseudo-first order kinetics. Their apparent reaction orders were 0.83 and 0.50 for NEM and DTNB modifications, respectively, indicating that inactivation was due to a sulfhydryl group in the active site of aspartase and participation of the sulfhydryl group in an essential step in the catalytic reaction. When aspartase was modified by DTNB, the enzyme activity was restored by dithiothreitol treatment, indicating that cysteine residuetsl islarel possibly at or near the active site. The pH-dependence of the inactivation rate by NEM suggested that an amino acid residue having pK value of 8.3 was involved in the inactivation. When aspartase was incubated with NEM and L-aspartate together, L-aspartate markedly protected the enzyme from inactivation by NEM, but the other reagents used did not.