• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.264-268
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• 1996

Panax-ginseng saponin has been known to exert various pharmacological effects on cellular metabolism. This study was performed to determine the effect of ginseng saponin on gap junction channel-mediated intercellular communication, using an established in vitro system of reconstituted gap junction channels. Gap junction channels are a specialized plasma membrane fraction, which are permeable to relatively large water-soluble molecules. The sucrose permeable property of reconstituted gap junction channels was completely inhibited with 0.1 % (w/v) of ginseng saponin. We also compared the effect of ginseng saponin with that of Triton X-100, a nonionic detergent, on the same system. Triton X-100 showed significantly different effect on sucrose-permeability of gap junction channel from that was affected by ginseng saponin. The structures of liposomes containing gap junction channels was significantly destroyed by Triton X-100.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.882-890
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• 2004

간극결합(gap junction)은 이웃하는 두 세포사이에 형성된 막 구조물로 이를 통하여 각종 이온들과 여러 가지 분자들이 통과한다. 일반적으로 알려진 세포의 이온채널(예를 들어 $Na^{+}$ 이온채널과$K^+$이온채널)과 구별하여 두 세포사이에 형성된 간극결합을 세포간 채널(intercellular channel)이라고도 부른다. 간극결합채널(gap junction channel)은 단순히 수동적으로 열려있는 통로가 아니라 여러 가지 자극 즉 pH, 칼슘이온(calcium ion), 전압(voltage), 그리고 화학적인 변형(주로 인산화, phosphorylation)에 의해서 개폐(gating, opening and closing)가 조절되는 이온채널이다. 그 가운데서도 전압에 의한 간극결합채널 개폐 변화가 가장 많이 연구되었다. 세포안과 바깥에 형성된 전압차이(membrane potential, $V_m$) 보다는 주로 두 세포 사이에 형성된 전압차이(transjunctional voltage, $V_j$)에 의해서 간극결합채널은 민감하게 반응한다. 본 총설에서는 간극결합채널의 일반적인 특성을 정리해보고 전압-의존적인(voltage-dependent) 채널개폐에 관한 기전을 논의하고자 한다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.147-153
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• 2004

The oocyte and its surrounding granulosa cells co-exist in a closed compartment called a follicle, although they receive many signals from other parts of the body. It is well established that the intercellular communications between the oocyte and granulosa cells are required for normal oocyte development and ovulation during folliculogenesis. Gap junctions are intercellular channels allowing the direct transmission of ions and small molecules between coupled cells. Several lines of studies have shown that multiple connexins (Cx, subunits of gap junction) are expressed in mammalian ovarian follicles. Among them, two major connexins Cx37 and Cx43 are expressed in different manner. While the gap junction channels formed by Cx37 are localized between the oocyte and encompassing granulosa cells, the intercellular channels by Cx43 are located between granulosa cells. In this review, I will summarize the general properties of gap junction channels and discuss their possible formation (or compatibility) of intercellular channels formed by the oocyte and granulosa cells.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.231-235
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• 2015

Damage to peripheral nerves or the spinal cord is often accompanied by neuropathic pain, which is a complex, chronic pain state. Increasing evidence indicates that alterations in the expression and activity of gap junction channels in the spinal cord are involved in the development of neuropathic pain. Thus, this review briefly summarizes evidence that regulation of the expression, coupling, and activity of spinal gap junction channels modulates pain signals in neuropathic pain states induced by peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury. We particularly focus on connexin 43 and pannexin 1 because their regulation vastly attenuates symptoms of neuropathic pain. We hope that the study of gap junction channels eventually leads to the development of a suitable treatment tool for patients with neuropathic pain.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.64-69
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• 2006

Gap junctional channels, allowing rapid intercellular communication and synchronization of coupled cell activities, play crucial roles in many signaling processes, including a variety of cell activities. Consequently, a modulation of the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) should be a potential pharmacological target. In the present, the GJIC of a epithelial-derived rat mammary cells (BICR-M1Rk) was assessed in the presence of ginseng saponin, by using an established method of scrape-loading dye transfer assay. The transfer of Lucifer yellow (diameter: 1.2 nm) among the neighboring BICR-M1Rk cells, in which connexin43 (Cx43) is a major gap junction channel-forming protein, was significantly retarded at a concentration of $10{\mu}g/ml$ ginseng saponin. By using both methods of RT-PCR and Western blotting, it was demonstrated that ginseng saponin modulated neither the mRNA synthesis of Cx43 nor the translational process of Cx43. This ginseng saponin-induced modification of GJIC was a similar phenomenon observed under the $\beta$-glycyrrhetinic acid treatment, a well-known gap junction channel blocker. Taken together, it is reasonable to conclude that the ginseng saponin inhibits GJIC only by modulating the gating property of gap junction channels.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.477-482
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• 2011

There are accumulating evidences suggesting that connexin (Cx), a gap junction channel-forming protein, acts as a growth suppressor in various cancer cells, and this effect is attributeed to the gap junction-mediated intercellular communication (GJIC). In order to characterize the relationship between the growth-arresting activity of Cx26 and its cytoplasmic localizations after expression, we linked a nuclear export signal (NES) sequence to Cx26 cDNA before transfecting into a rat breast cancer cell line. A confocal fluorescent microscopic observation revealed that the insertion of NES minimized the nuclear expression of Cx26, and increased its cytoplasmic expression, including plasma membrane junctions. Total cell counting and BrdUrd-labeling experiments showed that the growth of the breast cancer cells was inhibited by 74% upon transfection of Cx26-NES, whereas only 9% inhibition was observed with only Cx26 cDNA.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.764-769
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• 2008

커넥신(connexin) 32 유전자의 돌연변이가 씨엠티엑스(CMTX, X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth) 질환과 관련이 있다. 현재까지 300여개 이상의 돌연변이가 보고가 되었으나 이 질환에 대한 상세한 분자병리학적 원인을 거의 알려져 있지 않고 있다. 여러 연구를 통해서 커넥신 세포막채널이 간극결합채널이 갖고 있는 대부분의 생물리학적 특성을 갖고 있는 것으로 판명되었다. 이번 연구에서는 씨엠티엑스 질환과 관련된 두 개의 돌연변이체를 선정하여 간극결합채녈 대신 돌연변이체로 구성된 커넥신 세포막채널을 이용하여 단일채널수준에서 이들 돌연변이체의 특성을 조사하였다. M34T 돌연변이 세포막채널의 생물리학적 특성은 이들로 구성된 돌연변이 간극결합채널의 특성과 거의 유사하였다. 더욱이, 돌연변이 세포막채널을 이용한 연구를 통해서 간극결합채널을 이용한 연구에서는 밝혀지지 않았던 개폐극성의 역전, 빠른 개폐의 소실과 느린 개폐의 생성과 같은 새로운 사실을 알게 되었다. T86C 돌연변이 세포막채널 또한 이의 모체가 되는 커넥신 32 세포막채널과 유사한 특성을 갖고 있음을 알게 되었다. 이상의 결과를 통해서 커넥신 세포막을 이용한 연구가 씨엠티엑스 질환의 돌연변이체를 연구하는데 매우 유용할 것으로 생각된다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.184-190
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• 1995

Functional study of the gap junction channel has been hindered by its inaccessibility in situ. Identification of forms of this channel in artificial membrane has been elusive because of the lack of identifying channel physiology. Connexin32 forms gap junction channels between neighboring cells in rat liver. Connexin32 was affinity-purified using a monoclonal antibody and reconstituted into artificial phospholipid vesicles. The reconstituted connexin32 formed channels through the vesicle membrane that were permeable to sucrose (Stokes radius: $5{\AA}$). The permeability to sucrose was reversibly reduced by acidic pH. In addition, the pH effect on the permeability to sucrose fit well with by the Hill's equation (where, n=2.7 and pK=6.7).

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2012년도 제42회 동계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.342-343
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• 2012

We studied the Drain-Induced-Barrier-Lowering (DIBL) effect by different drain engineering. One other drain engineering is symmetric source-drain n-channel MOSFETs (SSD NMOSs), the other drain engineering is asymmetric source-drain n-channel MOSFETs (ASD NMOSs). Devices were fabricated using state of art 40 nm dynamic-random-access-memory (DRAM) technology. These devices have different modes which are deep drain junction mode in SSD NMOSs and shallow drain junction mode in ASD NMOSs. The shallow drain junction mode means that drain is only Lightly-Doped-Drain (LDD). The deep drain junction mode means that drain have same process with source. The threshold voltage gap between low drain voltage ($V_D$=0.05V) and high drain voltage ($V_D$=3V) is 0.088V in shallow drain junction mode and 0.615V in deep drain junction mode at $0.16{\mu}m$ of gate length. The DIBL coefficients are 26.5 mV/V in shallow drain junction mode and 205.7 mV/V in deep drain junction mode. These experimental results present that DIBL effect is higher in deep drain junction mode than shallow drain junction mode. These results are caused that ASD NMOSs have low drain doping level and low lateral electric field.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2006

간극결합은 이웃하는 두 세포 사이에 형성된 이온채널이며 또한 단일세포막에서도 작용한다. 간극결합채널을 형성하는 아미노 말단의 10번째 아미노산 잔기 부위까지가 개폐극성(gating polarity)과 전류-전압관계에 영향을 미친다. 정상적인 Cx32 채널은 음성의 개폐극성과 내향적인 정류현상을 보이는 반면, 음성전하를 띠는 aspartate로 치환된 T8D 채널은 반대의 개폐극성과 직선의 정류현상을 보인다. 이러한 개폐극성과 정류현상의 변화가 전하 자체에 의한 것인지 아니면 아미노 말단의 구조적인 변화에 의한 것인지는 아직 불명확하다. 이러한 문제점을 규명하기 위하여 아미노 말단의 8번째 아미노산 잔기를 cysteine기로 치환시킨 T8C 채널을 만들어 substituted-cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) 방법으로 이 채널의 생물리학적 특성을 조사하고자 하였다. T8C 채널은 정상적인 Cx32 채널처럼 음성의 개폐극성과 내향적인 정류현상을 보였으며, cysteine기로 치환이 정상적인 Cx32 채널의 원래 구조를 변화시키지 않았다는 것을 의미한다. 본 연구에서는 이런 전하효과를 규명하기 위하여 음성 전하를 갖는 MTSES-와 양성전하를 갖는 MTSET+를 사용하였다. MTSES-를 처리하면 T8C 채널은 T8D 채널의 특성처럼 양성의 개폐극성과 직선의 정류현상을 보였다. 그러나 양성전하를 갖는 MTSET+를 처리한 경우에는 T8C 채널은 본래의 특성을 그대로 유지하였다. 작은 분자의 MTS에 의해서 부여된 전하가 아미노 말단의 구조적인 변화를 초래하지는 않을 것으로 생각된다. 따라서 반대의 전하를 띠는 MTSES-와 MTSET+가 서로 상반대는 영향을 미치는 것으로 보아 본 연구에서 관찰된 개폐극성과 전류-전압의 변화는 아미노말단의 구조적인 변화라기보다는 MTS에 의해서 부여된 전하 자체에 기인한다고 할 수 있다. 또한 MTS가 아미노말단의 8번째 부위에 접근하여 반응을 일으킬 수 있다는 결과는 간극결합채널의 아미노말단이 채널의 통로(pore)를 형성한다는 가설을 뒷받침한다.