• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.119-126
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• 2015

Among the various human growth factors, epidermal growth factor (hEGF, consisting of 53 amino acids) has various effects on cell regeneration, stimulation of proliferation, migration of keratinocytes, formation of granulation tissues, and stimulation of fibroblast motility, which are important for wound healing. Owing to their multiple activities, EGFs are used as pharmaceutical and cosmetic agents. However, their low productivity, limited target specificity, and short half-life inhibit their application as therapeutic agents. To overcome these obstacles, we fused the collagen-binding domain (CBD) of Vibrio mimicus metalloprotease to EGF protein. About 18 or 12 amino acids (aa) (of the 33 total amino acids), which were essential for collagen-binding activity, were combined with the N- and C-termini of EGF. We constructed, expressed, and purified EGF (53 aa)-CBD (18 aa), EGF (53 aa)-CBD (12 aa), CBD (18 aa)-EGF (53 aa), and CBD (12 aa)-EGF (53 aa). These purified recombinant proteins increased the numbers of cells in treated specimens compared with non-treated specimens and control hEGF samples. The collagen-binding activities were also evaluated. Furthermore, CBD-hybridized hEGF induced phosphorylation of the EGF receptor. These results suggested that these fusion proteins could be applicable as small therapeutic agents in wound tissue healing.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2011

Auxin is a group of small natural and synthetic molecules having diverse regulatory functions in plant growth and development. In this review, two auxin binding proteins identified by biochemical experiments to measure their auxin binding activities and biochemical functions are described. ABP1, a 22 kDa auxin binding protein, shows strong auxin binding affinity and possibly plays an important role in plant development, although its biochemical function are still unclear. ABP57, a 57 kDa soluble protein from rice shoots, has both of IAA binding activity and the plasma membrane proton pump activation. Although it is yet to be accomplished, the improvement of agronomic traits using auxin binding proteins is worth to be considered, since auxin is known to be related to such a diverse crop traits.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.58-63
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• 2009

Background: T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing 3 protein (Tim-3) expressed on terminally differentiated Th1 cells plays a suppressive role in Th1-mediated immune responses. Recently, it has been shown that N-glycosylation affects the binding activity of the Tim-3-Ig fusion protein to its ligand, galectin-9, but the binding properties of non-glycosylated Tim-3 on $CD4^+CD25^+$T cells has not been fully examined. In this study, we produced recombinant Tim-3-Ig fusion proteins in different cellular sources and its N-glycosylation mutant forms to evaluate their binding activities to $CD4^+CD25^+$T cells. Methods: We isolated and cloned Tim-3 cDNA from BALB/C mouse splenocytes. Then, we constructed a mammalian expression vector and a prokaryotic expression vector for the Tim-3-Ig fusion protein. Using a site directed mutagenesis method, plasmid vectors for Tim-3-Ig N-glycosylation mutant expression were produced. The recombinant protein was purified by protein A sepharose column chromatography. The binding activity of Tim-3-Ig fusion protein to $CD4^+CD25^+$T cells was analyzed using flow cytometry. Results: We found that the nonglycosylated Tim-3-Ig fusion proteins expressed in bacteria bound to $CD4^+CD25^+$T cells similarly to the glycosylated Tim-3-Ig protein produced in CHO cells. Further, three N-glycosylation mutant forms (N53Q, N100Q, N53/100Q) of Tim-3-Ig showed similar binding activities to those of wild type glycosylated Tim-3-Ig. Conclusion: Our results suggest that N-glycosylation of Tim-3 may not affect its binding activity to ligands expressed on $CD4^+CD25^+$T cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.625-630
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• 1993

Among the six antihistamine agents tested in this study, homochlorcyclizine showed the highest bradykinin antagonistic activity in the receptor binding assay as well as the isolated rat ileum assay. Schild plot analysis of bradykinin-induced ileal contraction in the presence of three different concentrations of homochlorcyclizine revealed a pA$_{2}$=6.26, and a correlation coefficient of 0.984. Homochlorcyclizine of (100 $\mu{M}$ final concentration) also showed 25% antagonistic activity in the receptor binding assay.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1996

Changes in dopaminergic activities were investigated after the intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of ethylcholine aziridium (AF64A) in rats. The levels of dopamine (DA) and metabolites, the activities of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), and the specific binding sites of dopamine receptros in striata, hippocampus, and frontal cortex were assessed 6 days after the AF64A treatment with 3 nmol/each ventrcle. In frontal cortex, the levels of DA and metabolities were significantly decreased without changes in metabolites/DA ratios in the AF64A-treated groups. In contrast, the ratios of metabolites/DA were significantly decreased in striatum and hippocampus in the AF64A treatment. The activity of TH in frontal cortex was significantly decreased. However, that in other areas was not changed. Also the activity of MAO-A was not changed in the studied brain regions. However, the activity of MAO-B in striatum was significantly increased with no change in other areas. The specific binding sites of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors were increased in AF64A-treated frontal cortex. However, those were not changed in striatum and hippocampus except the small decreased specific binding sites of dopamine D-1 receptors in striatum after AF64A treatment. These results indicate that the dopaminergic activity was altered in AF64A treatment. Furthermore, it suggest that the decreased dopaminergic activities in each brain regions might be differently affected by AF64A treatment.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.126-133
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• 2018

Hippo signaling plays critical roles in regulation of tissue homeostasis, organ size, and tumorigenesis by inhibiting YES-associated protein (YAP) and PDZ-binding protein TAZ through MST1/2 and LATS1/2 pathway. It is also engaged in cross-talk with various other signaling pathways, including WNT, BMPs, Notch, GPCRs, and Hedgehog to further modulate activities of YAP/TAZ. Because YAP and TAZ are transcriptional coactivators that lack DNA-binding activity, both proteins must interact with DNA-binding transcription factors to regulate target gene's expression. To activate target genes involved in cell proliferation, TEAD family members are major DNA-binding partners of YAP/TAZ. Accordingly, YAP/TAZ were originally classified as oncogenes. However, YAP might also play tumor-suppressing role. For example, YAP can bind to DNA-binding tumor suppressors including RUNXs and p73. Thus, YAP might act either as an oncogene or tumor suppressor depending on its binding partners. Here, we summarize roles of YAP depending on its DNA-binding partners and discuss context-dependent functions of YAP/TAZ.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1897-1903
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• 2006

In order to investigate the functions of the C-terminal region of chitinase ChiCW of Bacillus cereus 28-9, a C-terminal truncated enzyme, ChiCW$\Delta$FC, was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity for biochemical characterization. Compared with ChiCW, ChiCW$\Delta$FC exhibited higher chitinase activity at high temperature and pH, but expressed lower hydrolytic and binding activities toward insoluble substrates. In addition, kinetic properties indicated that ChiCW$\Delta$MC hydrolyzed oligomeric and polymeric substrates less efficiently than ChiCW. These results suggest that the C-terminal region of ChiCW plays important roles in substrate binding and hydrolysis of chitin. In addition, the biological meaning of C-terminal proteolytic modification of ChiCW is discussed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.498-502
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• 1998

HBV polymerase shares several regions of amino acid homology with other DNA-directed and RNA-directed polymerases. The amino acid residues $Asp^{429}$, $Gly^{518}$, $Asp^{551}$, $Lys^{585}$, and $Gly^{641}$ in the conserved motifs A, B', C, D, and E in the polymerase domain of HBV polymerase were mutated to alanine or histidine by in vitro site-directed mutagenesis. Those mutants were overexpressed, purified, and analyzed against DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity and affinity for DNA binding. All those mutants did not show DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities indicating that those five amino acid residues are all critical in DNA polymerase activity. South-Western analysis shows that amino acid residues $ASp^{429}$ and $ASp^{551}$ are essential to DNA binding, and $Gly^{318}$ and $Gly^{585}$ also affect DNA binding to a certain extent.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2014

KR-31064 was developed for the strong angiotensin II receptor antagonist among the one of pyridyl imidazol series compounds. To investigate the receptor-ligand binding characteristics of this nonpeptide antagonist, binding experiments were deployed in various conditions and ex vivo contractile responses were tested toward the standard compound, losartan. Receptor binding experiments with radiolabeled angiotensin II, the $IC_{50}$ value for KR-31064 resulted 0.67 nM without any activities toward type 2 angiotensin II receptor. The comparative potency against losartan was more than 18 fold and the specific activity in type 1 angiotensin II receptor was more than 10,000 fold comparing to the type 2 receptor. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding data showed KR-31064 acted on the receptor in a competitive mode. KR-31064 inhibited the contractile response derived by angiotensin II ($pK_B$: 9.86) similar to that of losartan with decreased maximum signals. As a potent and specific type 1 angiotensin II receptor antagonist, KR-31064 may have possibilities for the development of diagnostic ligands that can be used as tools for various biochemical research experiments and non-invasive diagnostics.

• Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.203-210
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• 2017

After transcription, RNAs are always associated with RNA binding proteins (RBPs) to perform biological activities. RBPs can interact with target RNAs in sequence- and structure-dependent manner through their unique RNA binding domains. In development and progression of carcinogenesis, RBPs are aberrantly dysregulated in many human cancers with various mechanisms, such as genetic alteration, epigenetic change, noncoding RNA-mediated regulation, and post-translational modifications. Upon deregulation in cancers, RBPs influence every step in the development and progression of cancer, including sustained cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, avoiding immune surveillance, inducing angiogenesis, and activating metastasis. To develop therapeutic strategies targeting RBPs, RNA interference-based oligonucleotides or small molecule inhibitors have been screened based on reduced RBP-RNA interaction and changed level of target RNAs. Identification of binding RNAs with high-throughput techniques and integral analysis of multiple datasets will help us develop new therapeutic drugs or prognostic biomarkers for human cancers.