• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.845-851
• /
• 2008

TolC is an outer membrane porin protein and an essential component of drug efflux and type-I secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. TolC comprises a periplasmic $\alpha$-helical barrel domain and a membrane-embedded $\beta$-barrel domain. TdeA, a functional and structural homolog of TolC, is required for toxin and drug export in the pathogenic oral bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. Here, we report the expression of the periplasmic domain of TdeA as a soluble protein by substitution of the membrane-embedded domain with short linkers, which enabled us to purify the protein in the absence of detergent. We confirmed the structural integrity of the TdeA periplasmic domain by size-exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, which together showed that the periplasmic domain of the TolC protein family fold correctly on its own. We further demonstrated that the periplasmic domain of TdeA interacts with peptidoglycans of the bacterial cell wall, which supports the idea that completely folded TolC family proteins traverse the peptidoglycan layer to interact with inner membrane transporters.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.455-464
• /
• 2022

Efonidipine, a calcium channel blocker, is widely used for the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In our preliminary study using structure-based virtual screening, efonidipine was identified as a potential inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3). Although its antihypertensive effect is widely known, the role of efonidipine in the central nervous system has remained elusive. The present study investigated the effects of efonidipine on the inflammation and cell migration induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using murine BV2 and human HMC3 microglial cell lines and elucidated signaling molecules mediating its effects. We found that the phosphorylations of JNK and its downstream molecule c-Jun in LPS-treated BV2 cells were declined by efonidipine, confirming the finding from virtual screening. In addition, efonidipine inhibited the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory factors, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and nitric oxide. Similarly, the IL-1β production in LPS-treated HMC3 cells was also inhibited by efonidipine. Efonidipine markedly impeded cell migration stimulated by LPS in both cells. Furthermore, it inhibited the phosphorylation of inhibitor kappa B, thereby suppressing nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in LPS-treated BV2 cells. Taken together, efonidipine exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-migratory effects in LPS-treated microglial cells through inhibition of the JNK/NF-κB pathway. These findings imply that efonidipine may be a potential candidate for drug repositioning, with beneficial impacts on brain disorders associated with neuroinflammation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.73-81
• /
• 2023

Sirtuins (SIRTs) belong to the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent class III histone deacetylase family. They are key regulators of cellular and physiological processes, such as cell survival, senescence, differentiation, DNA damage and stress response, cellular metabolism, and aging. SIRTs also influence carcinogenesis, making them potential targets for anticancer therapeutic strategies. In this study, we investigated the anticancer properties and underlying molecular mechanisms of a novel SIRT1 inhibitor, MHY2251, in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. MHY2251 reduced the viability of various human CRC cell lines, especially those with wild-type TP53. MHY2251 inhibited SIRT1 activity and SIRT1/2 protein expression, while promoting p53 acetylation, which is a target of SIRT1 in HCT116 cells. MHY2251 treatment triggered apoptosis in HCT116 cells. It increased the percentage of late apoptotic cells and the sub-G1 fraction (as detected by flow cytometric analysis) and induced DNA fragmentation. In addition, MHY2251 upregulated the expression of FasL and Fas, altered the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, downregulated the levels of pro-caspase-8, -9, and -3 proteins, and induced subsequent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. The induction of apoptosis by MHY2251 was related to the activation of the caspase cascade, which was significantly attenuated by pre-treatment with Z-VAD-FMK, a pan-caspase inhibitor. Furthermore, MHY2251 stimulated the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and MHY2251-triggered apoptosis was blocked by pre-treatment with SP600125, a JNK inhibitor. This finding indicated the specific involvement of JNK in MHY2251-induced apoptosis. MHY2251 shows considerable potential as a therapeutic agent for targeting human CRC via the inhibition of SIRT1 and activation of JNK/p53 pathway.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.92-93
• /
• 2002

With the recent development of combinatorial chemistry, recombinant biotechnology and rational drug design, millions of compounds are being produced in the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies. These new drug candidates are evaluated their efficacy and toxicity through in vivo animal model studies which is very important in drug development. From these studies, very successful drug candidates are selected. (omitted)

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.35 no.11
• /
• pp.3156-3157
• /
• 2014

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.35 no.7
• /
• pp.1929-1930
• /
• 2014

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.320.2-321
• /
• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.75-75
• /
• 2003

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.38-46
• /
• 2023

The value of living a long and healthy life without suffering has increased owing to aging populations, transition to welfare societies, and global interest in health deriving from the novel coronavirus disease pandemic. New drug development has gained attention as both a tool to improve the quality of life and high-value market, with blockbuster drugs potentially generating over 10 billion dollars in annual revenue. However, for newly discovered substances to be used as drugs, various properties must be verified over a long period in a time-consuming and costly process. Recently, the development of artificial intelligence technologies, such as deep and reinforcement learning, has led to significant changes in drug development by enabling the effective identification of drug candidates that satisfy desired properties. We explore and discuss trends in artificial intelligence for de novo drug design.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.255-261
• /
• 2007

A bioequivalence study of $Nimegen^{TM}$ soft capsule (Medica Korea Pharma. Co., Ltd.) to $RoAccutane^{(R)}$ soft capsule (Roche Korea Ind. Co., Ltd.) was conducted according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Thirty healthy male Korean volunteers received each medicine at the isotretinoin dose of 60 mg in a $2{\times}2$ crossover study. There was one week wash-out period between the doses. Plasma concentrations of isotretinoin were monitored by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for over a period of 48 hours after drug administration. $AUC_t$ (the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to 48 hr) was calculated by the linear trapezoidal rule method. $C_{MAX}$ (maximum plasma drug concentration) and $T_{MAX}$ (time to reach $C_{MAX}$) were compiled from the plasma concentration-time data. Analysis of variance was carried out using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t\;and\;C_{MAX}$. No significant sequence effect was found for all of the bioavailability parameters indicating that the crossover design was properly performed. The 90% confidence intervals of the $AUC_t$ ratio and the $C_{MAX}$ ratio for $Nimegen^{TM}/RoAccutane^{(R)}$ were $log0.860{\sim}log0.98\;and\;log0.85{\sim}log1.00$, respectively. These values were within the acceptable bioequivalence intervals of $log0.80{\sim}log1.25$. Thus, our study demonstrated the bioequivalence of $Nimegen^{TM}\;and\;RoAccutane^{(R)}$ with respect to the rate and extent of absorption.