• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.473-479
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• 2011

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) catalyzes the formation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) from ATP. The cAMP produced by AC serves as a secondary messenger in a variety of signal transduction pathways, and controls various cellular functions in many organisms. ACs can be grouped into six classes based on their primary amino acid sequences. Eukaryotes and mycobacteria contain only members of class III AC. The catalytic cyclase domains of class III AC are active as dimers: mammalian ACs, which are composed of a single polypeptide with two catalytic cyclase domains, form the active site as a result of intramolecular dimerization of the catalytic cyclase domains. In contrast, mycobacterial ACs function as homodimers, since their polypeptides contain a single catalytic cyclase domain. Six amino acids are required for the catalytic activity of class III AC - two aspartate residues, a lysine-aspartate pair and an arginine-asparagine pair. 16 ACs belonging to the class III were identified in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, and their characteristics are reviewed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.60-70
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• 2017

Glaucoma is characterized by a slow and progressive degeneration of the optic nerve, including retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons in the optic nerve head (ONH), leading to visual impairment. Despite its high prevalence, the biological basis of glaucoma pathogenesis still is not yet fully understood, and the factors contributing to its progression are currently not well characterized. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only modifiable risk factor, and reduction of IOP is the standard treatment for glaucoma. However, lowering IOP itself is not always effective for preserving visual function in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. The second messenger cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) regulates numerous biological processes in the central nervous system including the retina and the optic nerve. Although recent studies revealed that cAMP generated by adenylyl cyclases (ACs) is important in regulating aqueous humor dynamics in ocular tissues, such as the ciliary body and trabecular meshwork, as well as cell death and growth in the retina and optic nerve, the functional role and significance of cAMP in glaucoma remain to be elucidated. In this review, we will discuss the functional role of cAMP in aqueous humor dynamics and IOP regulation, and review the current medications, which are related to the cAMP signaling pathway, for glaucoma treatment. Also, we will further focus on cAMP signaling in RGC growth and regeneration by soluble AC as well as ONH astrocytes by transmembrane ACs to understand its potential role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma neurodegeneration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.3 s.70
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• pp.415-422
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• 2005

library of the mutants was prepared by transposon mutagenesis of the Mycobacterium bovis BCG. We screened this library for the resistance to an anti-tuberculosis antibiotic, PA-824. Most of the mutants resistant to the PA-824 were not able to synthesize the coenzyme $F_{420}$ which is normally produced by the wild type M. bovis BCG strains. HPLC analysis of the cellular extract showed that one of those mutants which lost the ability to synthesize $F_{420}$ still produced F0. The insertion site of the transposon in this mutant was determined by an inverse PCR and the transposon was found to be inserted in the Rv2435c open reading frame (ORF). Rv2435c ORF is predicted to encode an 80.3 kDa protein. Rv2435c protein appears to be bound to the cytoplasmic membrane, its N-terminal present in the periplasm and C-terminal in the cytoplasm. The C-terminal portion of this protein is highly homologous with the adenylyl cyclases of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. There are 15 ORFs which have homology with the class III AC proteins in the genome of the M. tuberculosis and M. bovis. Two of those, Rv1625c and Rv2435c, are highly homologous with the mammalian ACs. We cloned the cytoplasmic domain of the Rv2435c ORF and expressed it with six histidine residues attached on its C-terminal in Escherichia coli to find out if this protein is a genuine AC. Production of that protein in E. coli was proved by purifying the histidine-tagged protein by using the Ni-NTA resin. This protein, however, failed to complement the cya mutation in E. coli, indicating that this protein lacks the AC activity. All of the further attempts to convert this protein to a functional AC by a mutagenesis with UV or hydroxylamine, or construction of several different fusion proteins with Rv1625c failed. It is, therefore, possible that Rv2435c protein might affect the conversion of F0 to $F_{420}$ not by synthesizing cAMP but by some other way.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.259-271
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• 2007

Investigation of molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity is the major focus of many neuroscientists. There are two major reasons for searching new genes and molecules contributing to central plasticity: first, it provides basic neural mechanism for learning and memory, a key function of the brain; second, it provides new targets for treating brain-related disease. Long-term potentiation (LTP), mostly intensely studies in the hippocampus and amygdala, is proposed to be a cellular model for learning and memory. Although it remains difficult to understand the roles of LTP in hippocampus-related memory, a role of LTP in fear, a simplified form of memory, has been established. Here, I will review recent cellular studies of LTP in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and then compare studies in vivo and in vitro LTP by genetic/pharmacological approaches. I propose that ACC LTP may serve as a cellular model for studying central sensitization that related to chronic pain, as well as pain-related cognitive emotional disorders. Understanding signaling pathways related to ACC LTP may help us to identify novel drug target for various mental disorders.