• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.346.3-346.3
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• 2002

The polyamine pathway represents a logical target for chemotherapeutic intervention, since depletion of polyamines results in the disruption of a variety of cellular functions, and may in specific cases result in cytotoxicity. Polyamine interaction with DNA has also long been thought to be an important function of the natural polyamines and as more is learned about the specific interactions and the resultant conformational changes which can be influenced by the polyamine binding to DNA the potential for regional and gene-specific changes are becoming more evident. We have prepraed the elaborate polyamines by the reaction of simpler polyamines with polyalkyating agents. Synthesized polyamines were separated and purified by metal complex formation and ion-exchange chromatography. They were characterized by X-ray crystal structure determinations of their metal complexes.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.167-169
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• 2011

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288c strain does not show haploid and diploid filamentous growth, and biofilm formation, because it has a flo8 nonsense mutation unlike ${\Sigma}1278b$ strain which has a FLO8 gene. During the heat stress experiments to investigate the role of ScKns1, LAMMER kinase in S. cerevisiae, we found that ${\Sigma}1278b$ strain revealed heat sensitivity at $37^{\circ}C$, a mild heat stress in contrast to S288c strain. We also found that the disruption of ScKns1 and the addition of sorbitol suppress heat sensitivity of ${\Sigma}1278b$ strain. These results suggest the possibility that Flo8 and ScKns1 may interact to transducer a signal for regulating heat stress through a novel signaling pathway.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.314-327
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• 1992

Insecticide resistance is a serious is a serious threat to IPM, resulting in various adverse effects not to mention the loss of yield in agriculture. One approach to counter the problem is the disruption of resistance mechanisms. This can be achieved by (1) compounds which show a negative correlation with resistance at the site of action, (2) specific metabolic inhibitors which serve as synergists, or (3) a certain combination of two insecticides producing a joint action. This approach, however, requires certain precautions for the side effects may cause an increase in toxicity to mammals. Owing to the recent advances in theoretical studies on resistance management employing computer simulation and mathematical models, a few principles to reduce the risk of development of resistance have been clarified. They are helpful in designing operational strategies with regard to, for instance, insecticide doses to be applied, mode of application, and choice and nature of the insecticide(s) to be used. For restoration of insecticide susceptibility of a resistant population, reintroduction of susceptible individuals to the resistant population is feasible when certain conditions are met. Natural enemies which developed resistance to insecticides can be an important component of IPM as has been shown in the pest management in apple orchards. After all, the implementation of a successful resistance management program depends upon cooperation between different sigments of the agricutural community. Although resistance is a preadaptive phenomenon, in some cases spontaneous loss of resistance does occur without contamination by susceptible individuals. The instability of resistance in these insects implies the possible existence of a switch machanism controlling the expression of resistance gene(s). Elucidation of such a mechanism may eventually provide us with a new technical approach with which we can combat the problem of insecticide resistance.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.234-241
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• 2000

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PMR1 gene encodes a Ca2+-ATPase localized in the Golgi. We have investigated the effects of PMR1 disruption in S. cerevisiae on the glycosylation and secretion of three heterologous glycoproteins, human ${\alpha}$1-antitrypsin (${\alpha}$1-AT), human antithrombin III (ATHIII), and Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase (GOD). The pmr1 null mutant strain secreted larger amounts of ATHIII and GOD proteins per a unit cell mass than the wild type strain. Despite a lower growth rate of the pmr1 mutant, two-fold higher level of human ATHIII was detected in the culture supernatant from the pmr1 mutant compared to that of the wild-type strain. The pmr1 mutant strain secreted ${\alpha}$1-AT and the GOD proteins mostly as core-glycosylated forms, in contrast to the hyperglycosylated proteins secreted in the wild-type strain. Furthermore, the core-glycosylated forms secreted in the pmr1 mutant migrated slightly faster on SDS-PAGE than those secreted in the mnn9 deletion mutant and the wild type strains. Analysis of the recombinant GOD with anti-${\alpha}$1,3-mannose antibody revealed that GOD secreted in the pmr1 mutant did not have terminal ${\alpha}$1,3-linked mannose unlike those secreted in the mnn9 mutant and the wild type strains. The present results indicate that the pmr1 mutant, with the super-secretion phenotype, is useful as a host system to produce recombinant glycoproteins lacking high-mannose outer chains.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.293-298
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• 2024

Microtubule acetylation has been shown to regulate actin filament dynamics by modulating signaling pathways that control actin organization, although the precise mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we found that the downregulation of microtubule acetylation via the disruption ATAT1 (which encodes α-tubulin N-acetyltransferase 1) inhibited the expression of RhoA, a small GTPase involved in regulating the organization of actin filaments and the formation of stress fibers. Analysis of RHOA promoter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that C/EBPβ is a major regulator of RHOA expression. Interestingly, the majority of C/EBPβ in ATAT1 knockout (KO) cells was found in the nucleus as a 27-kDa fragment (referred to as C/EBPβ^p27) lacking the N-terminus of C/EBPβ. Overexpression of a gene encoding a C/EBPβ^p27-mimicking protein via an N-terminal deletion in C/EBPβ led to competitive binding with wild-type C/EBPβ at the C/EBPβ binding site in the RHOA promoter, resulting in a significant decrease of RHOA expression. We also found that cathepsin L (CTSL), which is overexpressed in ATAT1 KO cells, is responsible for C/EBPβ^p27 formation in the nucleus. Treatment with a CTSL inhibitor led to the restoration of RHOA expression by downregulation of C/EBPβ^p27 and the invasive ability of ATAT1 KO MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that the downregulation of microtubule acetylation associated with ATAT1 deficiency suppresses RHOA expression by forming C/EBPβ^p27 in the nucleus through CTSL. We propose that CTSL and C/EBPβ^p27 may represent a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2629-2633
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• 2012

Background: Raw betel nut (RBN) chewing is an important contributing factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), although associated genomic changes remain unclear. One difficulty in assessing the effects of exclusively RBN induced genetic alterations has been that earlier studies were performed with samples of patients commonly using tobacco and alcohol, in addition to betel-quid. Both CDKN2A (at 9p21) and Rb1 gene (at 13q14.2) are regarded as tumor suppressors involved in the development of ESCC. Therefore, the present study aimed to verify the RBN's ability to induce ESCC and assess the involvement of CDKN2A and Rb1 genes. Methods: A panel of dinucelotide polymorphic markers were chosen for loss of heterozygosity studies in 93 samples of which 34 were collected from patients with only RBN-chewing habit. Promoter hypermethylation was also investigated. Results: Loss in microsatellite markers D9S1748 and D9S1749, located close to exon $1{\beta}$ of CDKN2A/ARF gene at 9p21, was noted in 40% ESCC samples with the habit of RBN-chewing alone. Involvement of a novel site in the 9p23 region was also observed. Promoter hypermethylation of CDKN2A gene in the samples with the habit of only RBN-chewing alone was significantly higher (p=0.01) than Rb1 gene, also from the samples having the habit of use both RBN and tobacco (p=0.047). Conclusions: The data indicate that the disruption of 9p21 where CDKN2A gene resides, is the most frequent critical genetic event in RBN-associated carcinogenesis. The involvement of 9p23 as well as 13q14.2 could be required in later stages in RBN-mediated carcinogenesis.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 2002

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is among the most frequently mutated and studied genes in human cancer, but the mechanisms by which it sur presses tumor formation remain unclear. DNA damage regulates both the protein levels of p53 and its affinity for specific DNA sequences. Stabilization of p53 in response to DNA damage is caused by its dissociation from Mdm2, a downstream target gene of p53 and a protein that targets p53 for degradation in the proteosome. Recent studies have suggested that phosphorylation of human p53 at Ser20 is important for stabilizing p53 in response to DNA damage through disruption of the interaction between Mdm2 and p53. We generated mice with an allele encoding changes at Ser20, known to be essential for p53 accumulation following DNA damage, to enable analyses of p53 stabilization in vivo. Our data showed that the mutant p53 was clearly defective for full stabilization of p53 in response to DNA damage. We concluded that Ser20 phosphorylation is critical for modulating the negative regulation of p53 by Mdm2, probably through phosphorylation-dependent inhibition of p53-Mdm2 interaction in the physiological context.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.278-281
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• 2004

The $\alpha$1,6-mannosyltransferase encoded by Saccharomyces cerevisiae OCH1 plays a key role for the outer chain initiation of the N-linked oligosaccharides. A search for Hansenula polymorpha genes homologous to S. cerevisiae OCHI (ScOCH1) has revealed seven open reading frames (ORF100, ORF142, ORF168, ORF288, ORF379, ORF576, ORF580). All of the seven ORFs are predicted to be a type II integral membrane protein containing a transmembrane domain near the amino-terminal region and has a DXD motif, which has been found in the active site of many glycosyltransferases. Among this seven-membered OCH1 gene family of H. polymorpha, we have carried out a functional analysis of H. polymorpha ORF168 (HpOCH2) showing the highest identity to ScOCH1. Inactivation of this protein by disruption of corresponding gene resulted in several phenotypes suggestive of cell wall defects, including hypersensitivity to hygromycin B and sodium deoxycholate. The structural analysis of N-glycans synthesized in HpOCH2-disrupted strain (Hpoch2Δ) and the in vitro $\alpha$1,6-mannosyltransferase activity assay strongly indicate that HpOch2p is a key enzyme adding the first $\alpha$1,6-mannose residue on the core glycan Man$_{8}$GlcNAc$_2$. The Hpoch2Δ was further genetically engineered to synthesize a recombinant glycoprotein with the human compatible N-linked oligosaccharide, Man$_{5}$GlcNAc$_2$, by overexpression of the Aspergillus saitoi $\alpha$1,2-mannosidase with the 'HDEL” ER retention signal.gnal.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1162-1168
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• 2007

Although widely used as a host for recombinant protein production, Escherichia coli is unsuitable for massive screening of recombinant clones, owing to its poor secretion of proteins. A vector system containing T4 holin and T7 lysozyme genes under the control of the ptsG promoter derivative that is inducible in the absence of glucose was developed for programmed cell lysis of E. coli. Because E. coli harboring the vector grows well in the presence of glucose, but is lysed upon glucose exhaustion, the activity of the foreign gene expressed in E. coli can be monitored easily without an additional step for cell disruption after the foreign gene is expressed sufficiently with an appropriate concentration of glucose. The effectiveness of the vector was demonstrated by efficient screening of the amylase gene from a Bacillus subtilis genomic library. This vector system is expected to provide a more efficient and economic screening of bioactive products from DNA libraries in large quantities.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2015

We have previously isolated ${\varepsilon}$-COP, the ${\alpha}$-COP interactor in COPI of Aspergillus nidulans, by yeast two-hybrid screening. To understand the function of ${\varepsilon}$-COP, the $aneA^+$ gene for ${\varepsilon}$-COP/AneA was deleted by homologous recombination using a gene-specific disruption cassette. Deletion of the ${\varepsilon}$-COP gene showed no detectable changes in vegetative growth or asexual development, but resulted in decrease in the production of the fruiting body, cleistothecium, under conditions favorable for sexual development. Unlike in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in A. nidulans, over-expression of ${\varepsilon}$-COP did not rescue the thermo-sensitive growth defect of the ${\alpha}$-COP mutant at $42^{\circ}C$. Together, these data show that ${\varepsilon}$-COP is not essential for viability, but it plays a role in fruiting body formation in A. nidulans.