• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.143-153
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• 2009

Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) is composed of 10 amino acids, and is best known as a neurotransmitter. Because of the 80% homology in animals, much more concerns have focused on the substances that have similar functions or can control LHRH. Ni, Cu-LHRH complexes were synthesized. The degree of complexation was monitored by $^1H,\;^{13}C$-NMR chemical shifts, and final products were identified by ESI-Mass spectrum. Solution-state structure determination of Ni-LHRH complex was accomplished by using NMR results and NMR-based distance geometry (DG). Interproton distances from nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) were utilized for the molecular structure determination. Results were compared with previous structures obtained from energy minimization and other spectroscopic methods. Structure obtained in this study has a cyclic conformation which is similar to that of energy minimized, and exhibits a specific a-helical turn with residue numbers (2~7) out of 10 amino acids. Comparison of chemical shifts and EPR studies of Ni, Cu-LHRH complexes exhibit that Ni-LHRH complex has same binding sites with the 4-coordination mode as in Zn-LHRH complex.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1393-1400
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• 2021

Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum has been considered a promising process of industrial biofuel production. Phosphotransbutyrylase (phosphate butyryltransferase, PTB) plays a crucial role in butyrate metabolism by catalyzing the reversible conversion of butyryl-CoA into butyryl phosphate. Here, we report the crystal structure of PTB from the Clostridial host for ABE fermentation, C. acetobutylicum, (CaPTB) at a 2.9 Å resolution. The overall structure of the CaPTB monomer is quite similar to those of other acyltransferases, with some regional structural differences. The monomeric structure of CaPTB consists of two distinct domains, the N- and C-terminal domains. The active site cleft was formed at the interface between the two domains. Interestingly, the crystal structure of CaPTB contained eight molecules per asymmetric unit, forming an octamer, and the size-exclusion chromatography experiment also suggested that the enzyme exists as an octamer in solution. The structural analysis of CaPTB identifies the substrate binding mode of the enzyme and comparisons with other acyltransferase structures lead us to speculate that the enzyme undergoes a conformational change upon binding of its substrate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.247-268
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• 1996

It has been known for a long time that gonadotropins and steroid hormones play a pivotal role in a series of reproductive biological phenomena including the maturation of ovarian follicles and oocytes, ovulation and implantation, maintenance of pregnancy and fetal growth & development, parturition and mammary development and lactation. Recent investigations, however, have elucidated that in addition to these classic hormones, multiple growth factors also are involved in these phenomena. Most growth factors in reproductive organs mediate the actions of gonadotropins and steroid hormones or synergize with them in an autocrine/paracrine manner. The insulin-like growth factor(IGF) system, which is one of the most actively investigated areas lately in the reproductive organs, has been found to have important roles in a wide gamut of reproductive phenomena. In the present communication, published literature pertaining to the intrauterine IGF system will be reviewed preceded by general information of the IGF system. The IGF family comprises of IGF-I & IGF-II ligands, two types of IGF receptors and six classes of IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs) that are known to date. IGF-I and IGF-II peptides, which are structurally homologous to proinsulin, possess the insulin-like activity including the stimulatory effect of glucose and amino acid transport. Besides, IGFs as mitogens stimulate cell division, and also play a role in cellular differentiation and functions in a variety of cell lines. IGFs are expressed mainly in the liver and messenchymal cells, and act on almost all types of tissues in an autocrine/paracrine as well as endocrine mode. There are two types of IGF receptors. Type I IGF receptors, which are tyrosine kinase receptors having high-affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II, mediate almost all the IGF actions that are described above. Type II IGF receptors or IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptors have two distinct binding sites; the IGF-II binding site exhibits a high affinity only for IGF-II. The principal role of the type II IGF receptor is to destroy IGF-II by targeting the ligand to the lysosome. IGFs in biological fluids are mostly bound to IGFBP. IGFBPs, in general, are IGF storage/carrier proteins or modulators of IGF actions; however, as for distinct roles for individual IGFBPs, only limited information is available. IGFBPs inhibit IGF actions under most in vitro situations, seemingly because affinities of IGFBPs for IGFs are greater than those of IGF receptors. How IGF is released from IGFBP to reach IGF receptors is not known; however, various IGFBP protease activities that are present in blood and interstitial fluids are believed to play an important role in the process of IGF release from the IGFBP. According to latest reports, there is evidence that under certain in vitro circumstances, IGFBP-1, -3, -5 have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. This may add another dimension of complexity of the already complicated IGF system. Messenger ribonucleic acids and proteins of the IGF family members are expressed in the uterine tissue and conceptus of the primates, rodents and farm animals to play important roles in growth and development of the uterus and fetus. Expression of the uterine IGF system is regulated by gonadal hormones and local regulatory substances with temporal and spatial specificities. Locally expressed IGFs and IGFBPs act on the uterine tissue in an autocrine/paracrine manner, or are secreted into the uterine lumen to participate in conceptus growth and development. Conceptus also expresses the IGF system beginning from the peri-implantation period. When an IGF family member is expressed in the conceptus, however, is determined by the presence or absence of maternally inherited mRNAs, genetic programming of the conceptus itself and an interaction with the maternal tissue. The site of IGF action also follows temporal (physiological status) and spatial specificities. These facts that expression of the IGF system is temporally and spatially regulated support indirectly a hypothesis that IGFs play a role in conceptus growth and development. Uterine and conceptus-derived IGFs stimulate cell division and differentiation, glucose and amino acid transport, general protein synthesis and the biosynthesis of mammotropic hormones including placental lactogen and prolactin, and also play a role in steroidogenesis. The suggested role for IGFs in conceptus growth and development has been proven by the result of IGF-I, IGF-II or IGF receptor gene disruption(targeting) of murine embryos by the homologous recombination technique. Mice carrying a null mutation for IGF-I and/or IGF-II or type I IGF receptor undergo delayed prenatal and postnatal growth and development with 30-60% normal weights at birth. Moreover, mice lacking the type I IGF receptor or IGF-I plus IGF-II die soon after birth. Intrauterine IGFBPs generally are believed to sequester IGF ligands within the uterus or to play a role of negative regulators of IGF actions by inhibiting IGF binding to cognate receptors. However, when it is taken into account that IGFBP-1 is expressed and secreted in primate uteri in amounts assessedly far exceeding those of local IGFs and that IGFBP-1 is one of the major secretory proteins of the primate decidua, the possibility that this IGFBP may have its own biological activity independent of IGF cannot be excluded. Evidently, elucidating the exact role of each IGFBP is an essential step into understanding the whole IGF system. As such, further research in this area is awaited with a lot of anticipation and attention.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2015

Fatty acid synthase (FASN, EC 2.3.1.85), is a multi-enzyme dimer complex that plays a critical role in lipogenesis. This lipogenic enzyme has gained importance beyond its physiological role due to its implications in several clinical conditions-cancers, obesity, and diabetes. This has made FASN an attractive pharmacological target. Here, we have attempted to predict the theoretical models for the human enoyl reductase (ER) and ${\beta}$-ketoacyl reductase (KR) domains based on the porcine FASN crystal structure, which was the structurally closest template available at the time of this study. Comparative modeling methods were used for studying the structure-function relationships. Different validation studies revealed the predicted structures to be highly plausible. The respective substrates of ER and KR domains-namely, trans-butenoyl and ${\beta}$-ketobutyryl-were computationally docked into active sites using Glide in order to understand the probable binding mode. The molecular dynamics simulations of the apo and holo states of ER and KR showed stable backbone root mean square deviation trajectories with minimal deviation. Ramachandran plot analysis showed 96.0% of residues in the most favorable region for ER and 90.3% for the KR domain, respectively. Thus, the predicted models yielded significant insights into the substrate binding modes of the ER and KR catalytic domains and will aid in identifying novel chemical inhibitors of human FASN that target these domains.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.99-103
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• 2009

Ribose-5-phosphate isomerase A (RpiA) plays an important role in interconverting between ribose-5-phosphate (R5P) and ribulose-5-phosphate in the pentose phosphate pathway and the Calvin cycle. We have determined the crystal structures of the open form RpiA from Vibrio vulnificus YJ106 (VvRpiA) in complex with the R5P and the closed form with arabinose-5-phosphate (A5P) in parallel with the apo VvRpiA at $2.0{\AA}$ resolution. VvRpiA is highly similar to Escherichia coli RpiA, and the VvRpiA-R5P complex strongly resembles the E. coli RpiA-A5P complex. Interestingly, unlike the E. coli RpiA-A5P complex, the position of A5P in the VvRpiA-A5P complex reveals a different position than the R5P binding mode. VvRpiA-A5P has a sugar ring inside the binding pocket and a phosphate group outside the binding pocket: By contrast, the sugar ring of A5P interacts with the Asp4, Lys7, Ser30, Asp118, and Lys121 residues; the phosphate group of A5P interacts with two water molecules, W51 and W82.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 1994

The purpose of the present study was to determine the in vivo effect of oxytocin antagonist-I(Al) on uterine oxytocin receptor number (Rn) and/or binding affinity (Kd) in the estrous rat. Anesthetized rats were given a bolus infusion of control or 5${\mu}\textrm{g}$ of AI and sacri-ficed 0.5 and 4 hours later. The uterine tissue was removed, trimmed and frozen. Membrane oxytocin receptors were isolated after homogenization of uterine tissue and differential ultracentrifugation. The oxytocin receptor assay was performed by saturation with cold oxytocin competion with a high specific activity oxytocin antagonist. Rn and Kds were determined by nonlinear curve fitting methods. No differences(p>0.05) between the AI and control treated animals in either oxytocin receptor number or binding affinity was detected in this study. These data suggest that the major mode of action of AI is via competitive inhibition at the uterine oxytocin receptor and not by altering receptor number or binding affinity.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.3695-3702
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• 2013

A nickel(II) complex $[Ni(H_2biim)_2(H_2O)_2](ClO_4)_2{\cdot}H_2O$ (1) of biimidazole ligand has been synthesized and characterized (Where $H_2biim$ = 2,2'-biimidazole). The single crystal X-ray diffraction of the complex shows a dimeric structure with six coordinated psudo-octahedral geometry. The cyclic voltammograms of complex exhibited one quasireversible reduction wave ($E_{pc}=-0.61V$) and an irreversible oxidation wave ($E_{pa}=1.28V$) in DMF solution. The interaction of the complex with Calf-Thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The complex is an avid DNA binder with a binding constant value of $1.03{\times}10^5M^{-1}$. The results suggest that the nickel(II) complex bind to CT-DNA via intercalative mode and can quench the fluorescence intensity of EB bind to CT-DNA with $K_{app}$ value of $3.2{\times}10^5M^{-1}$. The complex also shown efficient oxidative cleavage of supercoiled pBR322 DNA in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agent. The DNA cleavage by complex in presence of quenchers; viz. DMSO, KI, $NaN_3$ and EDTA reveals that hydroxyl radical or singlet oxygen mechanism is involved. The complex showed invitro antimicrobial activity against four bacteria and two fungi. The antimicrobial activity was nearer to that of standard drugs and greater than that of the free ligand.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 2003

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are orphan nuclear hormone receptors that are known to control the expression of genes that are involved in lipid homeostasis and energy balance. PPARs activate gene transcription in response to a variety of compounds, including hypolipidemic drugs. Most of these compounds have high affinity to the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of PPARs and cause a conformational change within PPARs. As a result, the receptor is converted to an activated mode that promotes the recruitment fo co-activators such as the steroid receptor co-activator-1 (SRC-1). Based on the activation mechanism of PPARs (the ligand binding to $PPAR{\gamma}$ induces interactions of the receptor with transcriptional co-activators), we performed Western blot and ELISA. These showed that the indomethacin, a $PPAR{\gamma}$ ligand, increased the binding between $PPAR{\gamma}$ and SRC-1 in a ligand dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that the in vitro conformational change of $PPAR{\gamma}$ by ligands was also induced, and increased the levels of the ligand-dependent interaction with SRC-1. Collectively, we developed a novel and useful ELISA system for the mass screening of $PPAR{\gamma}$ ligands. This screening system (based on the interaction between $PPAR{\gamma}$ and SRC-1) may be a promising system in the development of drugs for metabolic disorders.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 1988

Alterations in the amount of fibronectin during chick myogenesis were investigated. The amount of fibronectin as measured by immunoblotting was found to decrease during the process. As a first step in answering the precise mode of change in the level of ibronedin during myogensis, the interaction of 28,000 dalton(28 kDa) amino terminal fragment of fibronectin as well as 85,000 dalton (85 kDa) fragrxient with myoblasts was examined. The specific binding of 125 l-28 kDa fragment to myoblasts was time-dependent and reached a maximum within 60 min. Unlabelled 28 kDa fragment inhibited the binding of 125 I-28 kDa fragment, whereas 85 kDa fragment containing adhesion promoting activity did not inhibit it. This finding suggests that the 28 kDa fragment interacts with the matrix assembly receptors but not with the cell adhesion receptors. Accordingly, the decrease in the level of fibronectin is likely to correlate with the fall of fibronectin receptors on the myoblasts.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.228-234
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• 2009

Topoisomerase I (Topo I) participates in the DNA replication, transcription, and repair. Binding of Topo I inhibitor to the Topo I-DNA cleavage complex forms stabilized ternary complex which blocks DNA religation and ultimately causes cell death. Camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives have been among the most effective anticancer drugs by inhibition of topo I. However, efforts to synthesize non-CPT drugs have been actively going on because the CPT derivatives have several limitations such as poor solubility, short half-life, and side effects. As an indenoisoquinoline, NSC314622 is not as potent as CPT, but its chemical stability and slower reversibility of the cleavage complex made it a good lead compound. Recently, a series of indenoisoquinoline analogues were synthesized with substituted dimethoxy or methylenedioxy on the aromatic ring and alkylamino on the lactam nitrogen. Some of them showed quite good Topo I inhibitory activity. Using the computer docking program, Surflex-Dock, indenoisoquinoline analogues were docked into the human Topo I-DNA cleavable complex. The docking results showed that the compounds with activity better than NSC314622 intercalated between the -1 and +1 base pairs at the cleavage site, but those with little or no activities did not appear to intercalate. These results could be useful to design new Topo I inhibitors improved than CPT.