• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.525-535
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• 1998

A critical step in the faithful translation of genetic information is specific tRNA recognition by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. These enzymes catalyze the covalent attachment of particular amino acids to the terminal adenosine of cognate tRNA substrates. In general, there is one synthetase for each of the twenty amino acids and each enzyme must discriminate against all of the cellular tRNAs that are specific for the nineteen noncognate amino acids. Primary sequence information combined with structural data have resulted in the division of the twenty synthetases into two classes. In recent years, several high-resolution co-crystal structures along with biochemical data have led to an increased understanding of tRNA recognition by synthetases of both classes. The anticodon sequence and the amino acid acceptor stem are the most common locations for critical recognition elements. This review will focus on acceptor stem discrimination by class II synthetases. In particular, the results of in vitro aminoacylation assays and site-directed and atomic group mutagenesis studies will be discussed. These studies have revealed that even subtle atomic determinants can provide signals for specific tRNA aminoacylation.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2011

In order to identify the genetic relationship analysis by acute and chronic gamma irradiation, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L.) were irradiated with 200 Gy of gamma-rays using gamma-irradiator (3,000 Ci; Nordion, Canada) and gamma-phytotron (400 Ci; Nordion, Canada) for acute and chronic irradiation, respectively. Genetic relationship among two acute gamma-irradiated plants (A1 and A24) and three chronic gamma-irradiated plants (C1W, C2W, C3W) were analyzed using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique compared with each non-irradiated plant. A total of 28 EcoRI and MseI primer combinations were used to screen 8 treatments by the ABI3130 capillary electrophoresis system. Amplified products by 28 primer sets showed 1,679 bands with an average of 51 bands per primer combination. Out of the total bands scored, 1,164 fragments were polymorphic bands, with different alleles existing among the treatments. The cluster analysis was performed using the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic) in the computer program NTSYS-pc. In clustery analysis, acute gamma-irradiation showed higher genetic variation compared with chronic gamma-irradiation.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 1997

The structural basis of Iysine specificity of Achromobacter protease I (API) was investigated by means of site-directed mutagenesis. The precursor protein in which Glu190, one of the two candidates for determining Iysine specificity, was substituted by glutamine, aspartic acid or leucine was processed autocatalytically to attaln full pretense activity with lysine specificity. The substitution of the other candidate, Asp225, for asparagine or leucine produced no mature active forms of pro-API. The precursor protein of the mutant D225E slowly matured autocatalytically. The lysylendopeptidase activity of the mature D225E was 0.25% of that of native API, and this reduced activity is mainly due to a decrease in the affinity of the enzyme for lysine. These results suggest that Asp225 plays a critical rol in restricted substrate specificity as a lysylendopeptidase. However, D225E exhibited no measurable activity for synthetic ornithine substrate. Since the hydroxyl group of Ser194 in this mutant retained essentially the same reactivity to DFP or PMSF as that in native API, it can be noted that a methylene unit longer side chain of residue 225 is not compensated by a methylene unit shorter side chain at subsite P1 in the bound substrate.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.24 no.2 s.62
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• pp.102-111
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• 2006

The increased occurrence of hyperglycemia and oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ) induced type I diabetes has been implicated in the etiology and pathology of disease complication. STZ has known to be genotoxic in a variety of assays including tests for microbial mutagenesis and unscheduled DNA synthesis in rat kidney. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a pathologic condition, resulting in severe metabolic imbalances and non-physiologic changes in many tissues. We examined the effect of gamma radiation and KWNP on preventing the development of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus using streptozotocin-induced Fisher 344 diabetic rats. The hematological values (red blood cell and white blood cell), serum biochemical constituents-alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin-were checked and the organs (testis, spleen and kidney) were weighed. The gonad indices of the STZ treated groups were much lower than the value of the control group. But the gonad indices of the KWNP treated groups were higher than those of the treated groups. The ratio of the weight of kidney to the body weight of the STZ treated groups was higher than that of the control group. The value of the diabetic group treated with KWNP after irradiation (F group) was lower than the other STZ treated groups. The white blood cell and ALP values of the F group were lower than the other STZ groups, as well. The cholesterol and triglyceride values of all the KWNP treated groups were significantly lower than the other groups. A significant increase (about 10 times) of insulin was detected in the F group. The results of hematological assay showed the distinctive damage in the irradiated and STZ treated groups. The quantity of apoptotic cells in seminiferous tubule of testis confirmed a serious damage as assessed in the STZ treated groups. These experimental results have revealed that treatment of the products of KWNP after irradiation has the antidiabetic effect in the STZ-induced diabetic rats. But the F group showed higher recuperative power. These experimental results have revealed that treatment of the gamma irradiation and KWNP have the recovering effect in the STZ-induced diabetic rats.