• Toxicological Research
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.371-377
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• 1998

We have cloned a soluble type human folate receptor(hFR type${\gamma}$) from human thymus cDNA library using the PCR amplification technique. To examine whether hFR type${\gamma}$ has a folate transport activity, CHO cells were transfected with the pcDNAhFR${\gamma}$ expression plasmid, and the stable cell line CHO/hFR${\gamma}$ expressing a high level of the hFR type${\gamma}$ was identified by northern and western blot analysis. The CHO/hFR${\gamma}$ cells produced a [$H^3$]folic acid binding protein in the culture medium. However, we couldn't detect any cell surface [$H^3$] folic acid binding and transport activities. The growth of the CHO/hFR${\gamma}$ cells was more rapidly inhibited than the wild type CHO cells in the low concentration folic acid media. These observations indicate that although soluble type human folate receptor can bind [$H^3$]folate, it does not involve in folate transport.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.593-597
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• 2002

(R,S)- and (R)-2-Benzylcysteine (1) and (R,S)-2-phenethylcysteine (2) were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors for carboxypeptidase A (CPA) with the expectation that these compounds exhibit improved inhibitory activities over 2-benzyl-3-mercaptopropanoic acid (BMPA), a potent CPA competitive inhibitor, possibly having additional interactions of their amino group with the carboxylate of Glu-270 of the enzyme upon binding to CPA. Contrary to the expectation, however, the CPA inhibitory potencies of these compounds were found to be much reduced compared with that of BMPA, suggesting that the amino group in the inhibitors rather exerts steric hindrance in binding of these inhibitors to CPA.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.195-198
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• 2001

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase, which possesses the activities of terminal binding, DNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase and RNaseH, has been shown to accomplish viral DNA replication through a pregenomic intermediate. Because the HBV polymerase has not been purified, the expression of HBV polymerase was examined in an E. coli expression system that is under the regulation of arabinose operon. The expressed individual domain containing terminal binding protein, polymerase, or RNaseH turned out to be insoluble. The activities of those domains were not able to be recovered by denaturation and renaturation using urea or guanidine-HCI. The expressed reverse transcriptase containing the polymerase and RNaseH domains became extensively degraded, whereas the proteolysis was reduced in a Ion- mutant. These results indicate that Lon protease proteolyzes the HBV reverse transcriptase expressed in E. coli.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권10호
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• pp.589-594
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• 2015

The shadow enhancer of the short gastrulation (sog) gene directs its sequential expression in the neurogenic ectoderm and the ventral midline of the developing Drosophila embryo. Here, we characterize three unusual features of the shadow enhancer midline activity. First, the minimal regions for the two different enhancer activities exhibit high overlap within the shadow enhancer, meaning that one developmental enhancer possesses dual enhancer activities. Second, the midline enhancer activity relies on five Single-minded (Sim)-binding sites, two of which have not been found in any Sim target enhancers. Finally, two linked Dorsal (Dl)- and Zelda (Zld)-binding sites, critical for the neurogenic ectoderm enhancer activity, are also required for the midline enhancer activity. These results suggest that early activation by Dl and Zld may facilitate late activation via the noncanonical sites occupied by Sim. We discuss a model for Zld as a pioneer factor and speculate its role in midline enhancer activity.

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.341-346
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• 2011

The single-stranded DNA binding activity of the Escherichia coli RecA protein is crucial for homologous recombination to occur. This and other biochemical activities of ssDNA binding proteins may be affected by various factors. In this study, we analyzed the effect of $CaCl_2$, NaCl and $NH_4NO_3$ salts in combination with the pH and nucleotide cofactor effect on the ssDNA-binding activity of RecA. The studies revealed that, in addition to the inhibitory effect, these salts exert also a stimulatory effect on RecA. These effects occur only under very strict conditions, and the presence or absence and the type of nucleotide cofactor play here a major role. It was observed that in contrast to ATP, ATP${\gamma}$S prevented the inhibitory effect of NaCl and $NH_4NO_3$, even at very high salt concentration. These results indicate that ATP${\gamma}$S most likely stabilizes the structure of RecA required for DNA binding, making it resistant to high salt concentrations.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.162-168
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• 2011

Many ligands have been experimentally designed and tested for their activities as inhibitors against bacterial enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI), ENR. Here the binding energies of the reported ligands with the E. coli ENR-$NAD^+$ were calculated, analyzed and compared, and their molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study was performed. IDN, ZAM and AYM ligands were calculated to have larger binding energies than TCL and IDN has the largest binding energy among the considered ligands (TCL, S54, E26, ZAM, AYM and IDN). The contribution of residues to the ligand binding energy is larger in E. coli ENR-NAD+-IDN than in E. coli ENR-$NAD^+$-TCL, while the contribution of $NAD^+$ is smaller for IDN than for TCL. The large-size ligands having considerable interactions with residues and $NAD^+$ have many effective functional groups such as aromatic $\pi$ rings, acidic hydroxyl groups, and polarizable amide carbonyl groups in common. The cation-$\pi$ interactions have large binding energies, positively charged residues strongly interact with polarisable amide carbonyl group, and the acidic phenoxyl group has strong H-bond interactions. The residues which have strong interactions with the ligands in common are Y146, Y156, M159 and K163. This study of the reported inhibitor candidates is expected to assist the design of feasible ENR inhibitors.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.77-83
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• 2001

To gain further insight into the relationship between structure and function of glutathione S-transferase (GST), the four cysteine mutants, C14S, C47S, C101S and C169S, of human GST P1-1 were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by affinity chromatography on immobilized glutathione (GSH). The catalytic activities of the four mutant enzymes were characterized with five different substrates as well as by their binding to four different inhibitors. Cys14 seems to participate in the catalytic reaction of GST by stabilizing the conformation of the active-site loop, not in the GSH binding directly. The substitution of Cys47 with serine significantly reduces the affinity of GSH binding, although it does not prevent GSH binding. On the other hand, the substitution of Cys101 with serine appears to change the binding affinity of electrophilic substrate by inducing a conformational change of the $\alpha-helix$ D. Cys169 seems to be important for maintaining the stable conformation of the enzyme. In addition, all four cysteine residues are not needed for the steroid isomerase activity of human glutathione S-transferase P1-1.

• 생약학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.284-289
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• 1999

In order to find active ingradients having an agonistic activity to benzodiazepine receptor from Gastrodia elata Blume (Orchidaceae) which has been used as an anticonvulsant in oriental medicine, one component and some fractions were separated from the butanol extract of the rhizomes of this plant and evaluated for their activities on GABA/benzodiazepine receptor in vitro. As a result, one crude mixture (F4f) obtained from the most active fraction (F4) inhibited significantly the binding of $[^3H]Ro15-1788$, a selective benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, to benzodiazepine receptor of rat cortices. GABA significantly enhanced the inhibition of $[^3H]flunitrazepam$ binding by F4f, and this positive GABA shift supported the strong possibility of the agonistic activity of F4f to benzodiazepine receptor.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 1998년도 Proceedings of UNESCO-internetwork Cooperative Regional Seminar and Workshop on Bioassay Guided Isolation of Bioactive Substances from Natural Products and Microbial Products
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• pp.177-177
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• 1998

In the previous report, tetrandrine (TET) and fangchinoline (FAN) showed antithrombotic and antiplatelet aggregation activities. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of tetrandrine and fangchinoline on human platelet aggregation, formation of thromboxane B$_2$ and coagulation of platelet poor plasma. TET and FAN inhibited platelet activating factor (PAF) induced human platelet aggregation, but didn't inhibit the specific binding of PAF to its receptor. Meanwhile, TET and FAN also inhibited PAF, thrombin and arachidonic acid induced thromboxane B$_2$ formation in human washed platelets. In addition, neither TET nor FAN showed any anticoagulation activities in the measurement of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT) using human platelet poor plasma. These results suggest that antithrombotic effects of TET and FAN in mice may be mainly related to the antiplatelet aggregation activities, and the antiplatelet aggregation effects may be related to the intracellular messenger system such as TXA$_2$ formation etc., but not to the binding of PAF to PAF-receptor on the platelet membrane directly.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.39-44
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• 2010

Purpose: Bone tissues for clinical application can be improved by studies on osteoblast differentiation. Runx2 is known to be an important transcription factor for osteoblast differentiation. However, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 treatment to stimulate Runx2 is not sufficient to acquire enough bone formation in osteoblasts. Therefore, it is necessary to find other regulatory factors which can improve the transcriptional activity of Runx2. The erythroblast transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factor family is reported to be involved in various aspects of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Methods: We have noticed that the promoters of osteoblast differentiation markers such as alkaline phosphatase (Alp), osteopontin (Opn), and osteocalcin (Oc) contain Ets binding sequences which are also close to Runx2 binding elements. Luciferase assays were performed to measure the promoter activities of these osteoblast differentiation markers after the transfection of Runx2, myeloid Elf-1-like factor (MEF), and Runxs+MEF. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was also done to check the mRNA levels of Opn after Runx2 and MEF transfection into rat osteoblast (ROS) cells. Results: We have found that MEF, an Ets transcription factor, increased the transcriptional activities of Alp, Opn, and Oc. The addition of Runx2 resulted in the 2- to 6-fold increase of the activities. This means that these two transcription factors have a synergistic effect on the osteoblast differentiation markers. Furthermore, early introduction of these two Runx2 and MEF factors significantly elevated the expression of the Opn mRNA levels in ROS cells. We also showed that Runx2 and MEF proteins physically interact with each other. Conclusions: Runx2 interacts with MEF proteins and binds to the promoters of the osteoblast markers such as Opn nearby MEF to increase its transcriptional activity. Our results also imply that osteoblast differentiation and bone formation can be increased by activating MEF to elicit the synergistic effect of Runx2 and MEF.