• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.450-456
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• 2019

Taurine has a number of beneficial pharmacological actions in the brain such as anxiolytic and neuroprotective actions. We explored to test whether taurine could be transported to the central nervous system through the intranasal route. Following intranasal administration of taurine in mice, elevated plus maze test, activity cage test and rota rod test were carried out to verify taurine's effect on anxiety. For the characterization of potential mechanism of taurine's anti-anxiety action, mouse convulsion tests with strychnine, picrotoxin, yohimbine, and isoniazid were employed. A significant increase in the time spent in the open arms was observed when taurine was administered through the nasal route in the elevated plus maze test. In addition, vertical and horizontal activities of mice treated with taurine via intranasal route were considerably diminished. These results support the hypothesis that taurine can be transported to the brain through intranasal route, thereby inducing anti-anxiety activity. Taurine's anti-anxiety action may be mediated by the strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor as evidenced by the inhibition of strychnine-induced convulsion.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제7권5호
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• pp.549-555
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• 2008

Bupleuri radix (Umbelliferae), the dried root of Bupleurum Chinense DC, has been clinically used to mitigate pain sensation. The descending pain control system consists of three major components, and modulation of pain in the periaqueductal gray is the most extensively studied descending pain control system. However, the relation of Bupleuri radix on the descending pain control system has not been clarified. In the present study, modulation of the aqueous extract of Bupleuri radix on glycine-induced ion current in the acutely dissociated periaqueductal gray neurons was investigated by using nystatin-perforated patch-clamp technique under voltage-clamp condition. In the present results, the glycine-induced ion current was significantly suppressed by 0.1 mg/ml Bupleuri radix, while treatment with $10^{-5}\;M$ naltrexone, opioid receptor antagonist, alleviated Bupleuri radix-induced inhibition on glycine-induced ion current. The present study showed that the aqueous extract of Bupleuri radix may activate descending pain control system through inhibition on glycine-induced ion current in the periaqueductal gray neurons and this effect is mediated by opioid receptors.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.239-247
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• 2003

In Korea, a local soybean (Glycine max) genotype 56l. was found to be strongly resistant to a virulent bacterial strain of a Pseudomonas sp. SN239. Specific genes involved in the resistance of the soybean genotype 561 were identified and the pattern of gene expression against the Pseudomonas infection was analyzed using differential-display reverse transcription PCR (DDRT-PCR). More than 126 cDNA fragments representing mRNAs were induced within 48 hours of bacteria inoculation. Among them, 28 cDNA fragments were cloned and sequenced. Twelve differentially displayed clones with open reading frames had unknown functions. Sixteen selected cDNA clones were homologous to known genes of other organisms. Some of the identified cDNAs were pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and PR-like genes. These cDNAs included a putative calmodulin-binding protein; an endo-l,3-1,4-$\bate$-D-glucanase; a $\bate$-1,3-endoglucanase; a $\bate$-1,3-exoglucanase; a phytochelatin synthetase-like gene; a thiol protease; a cycloartenol synthase; and a putative receptor-like serine/threonine protein kinase. Among them, four genes were found to be putative PR genes induced significantly by the Pseudomonas infection. These included a calmodulin-binding protein gene, a $\bate$-1,3-endoglucanase gene, a receptor-like serine/threonine protein kinase gene, and pS321 (unknown function). These results suggest that the differentially expressed genes may mediate the strong resistance of soybean 561 to the strain SN239 of Pseudomonas sp.

• 동의생리학회지
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• 제14권2호통권20호
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• pp.55-66
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• 1999

The effects of Bogi, Boyang and Onri herbs on glutamate receptor using nystatin perforated patch clamp under voltage clamp were investigated and the following results was obtained. Ginseng radix and Astragali radix were chosen as Bogi herbs. Cervi cornu and Boshniakiae herba were used as Boyang herbs. Aconiti tuber and Zingiberis rhizoma were selected as Onri herbs. 1. $10^{-6}M$ of glycine brought about the increase of the ion currents by Astragali radix. Cervi cornu. Boshniakiae herba and Aconiti tuber to a minute extent that has no experimental meaning. 2. It was assumed that Bogi herb had no effect on glutamate receptor since the ion currents of Ginseng radix and Astragali radix that are Bogi herbs had not been inhibited to a great extent by D-AP5 and CNQX. 3. Boyang herbs were seem to have meaningful relationship with non-NMDA receptor since the ion currents by Cervi cornu and Boshniakiae that are Boyang herbs were inhibited by CNQX but not inhibited to a meaningful extent by D-AP5. 4. D-AP5 had not a significant effect on the ion currents activated by Onri herbs such as Aconiti tuber and Zingiberis rhizoma. CNQX had a significant effect on the ion currents of Aconiti tuber but no effect on the ion currents of Zingiberis rhizoma. Therefore, it seemed that Aconiti tuber had a relationship with non-NMDA receptor while Zingiberis rhizoma had no relationship with glutamate receptor. In summary, Bogi, Boyang and Onri herbs had different effects through different mechanisms on glutamate receptor. Hence it was believed that. through experiments on acetylcholine receptor new classification could be made.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.309-314
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• 2004

cAMP수용성 단백질(CRP)은 E. coli의 100가지 이상의 유전자 전자조절에 관계된다. CRP는 dimer로 존재하며 cAMP의 결합으로 활성인 형태로 전환된다. 이중체인 CRP 단백질의 열 안정성과 구조 전이의 연구에 효과적인 온도 기울기 전기영동장치를 이용하여 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 야생형과 S83C CRP 단백질의 melting temperature (Tm)는 산성인 완충용액[89.8 mM Glycine, 24mM Boric acid (pH 5.8)]에서 57$\pm$1(야생형 CRP)과 55$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$ (S83G CRP)였다. 그리고 온도에 따른 CRP 단백질의 구조변화도 protease digestion과 CD spectropolarimeter을 이용하여 확인하였다.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.217-221
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• 2008

Bicuculline is one of the most commonly used $GABA_A$ receptor antagonists in electrophysiological research. Because of its poor water solubility, bicuculline quaternary ammonium salts such as bicuculline methiodide (BMI) and bicuculline methbromide are preferred. However, a number of studies have shown that BMI has non-$GABA_A$ receptor-mediated effects. The substantia gelatinosa (SG) of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) is implicated in the processing of nociceptive signaling. In this study, we investigated whether BMI has non-GABA receptor-mediated activity in Vc SG neurons using a whole cell patch clamp technique. SG neurons were depolarized by application of BMI ($20{\mu}M$) using a high $Cl^-$ pipette solution. GABA ($30-100{\mu}M$) also induced membrane depolarization of SG neuron. Although BMI is known to be a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, GABA-induced membrane depolarization was enhanced by co-application with BMI. However, free base bicuculline (fBIC) and picrotoxin (PTX), a $GABA_A$ and $GABA_C$ receptor antagonist, blocked the GABA-induced response. Furthermore, BMI-induced membrane depolarization persisted in the presence of PTX or an antagonist cocktail consisting of tetrodotoxin ($Na^+$ channel blocker), AP-5 (NMDA receptor antagonist), CNQX (non-NMDA receptor antagonist), and strychnine (glycine receptor antagonist). Thus BMI induces membrane depolarization by directly acting on postsynaptic Vc SG neurons in a manner which is independent of $GABA_A$ receptors. These results suggest that other unknown mechanisms may be involved in BMI-induced membrane depolarization.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.447-452
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• 2006

The murine ecotropic retroviral receptor has been demonstrated to function as a mouse cationic amino acid transporter 1(mCAT1), and is comprised of multiple membranespanning domains. Feral mouse (Mus dunni) cells are not susceptible to infection by the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV), although they can be infected by other ecotropic murine leukemia viruses, including Friend MLV and Rauscher MLV. The relative inability of MoMLV to replicate in M. dunni cells has been attributed to two amino acids $(V_{214}\;and\;G_{236})$ located within the third extracellular loop of the M. dunni CAT1 receptor (dCAT1). Via the exchange of the third extracellular loop of the mCAT1 cDNA encoding receptor from the permissive mouse and the corresponding portion of cDNA encoding for the nonpermissive M. dunni receptor, we have identified the most critical amino acid residue, which is a glycine located at position 236 within the third extracellular loop of dCAT1. We also attempted to determine the role of the third extracellular loop of the M. dunni CAT1 receptor with regard to the formation of the syncytium. The relationship between dCAT1 and virus-induced syncytia was suggested initially by our previous identification of two MLV isolates (S82F in Moloney and S84A in Friend MLV), both of which are uniquely cytopathic in M. dunni cells. In an attempt to determine the relationship existing between dCAT1 and the virally-induced syncytia, we infected 293-dCAT1 or chimeric dCAT1 cells with the S82F pseudotype virus. The S82F pseudotype virus did not induce the formation of syncytia, but did show increased susceptibility to 293 cells expressing dCATl. The results of our study indicate that S82F-induced syncytium formation may be the result of cell-cell fusion, but not virus-cell fusion.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.751-755
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• 2003

Cyclic AMP receptor proteins(CRP) activate many genes in Escherichia coli by binding of cAMP with not fully known mechanism. CRP existed as apo-CRP in the absence of cAMP, $CRP;(cAMP)_2$$_2$ at low(micromolar) cAMP concentration, or $CRP;(cAMP)_4$ at high(millimolar) concentration of cAMP. This study is designed to measure the thermal stability of S83G CRP, which substituted glycine for serine at amino acid 83 position, with CD spectrapolarimeter at 222nm by the constant elevation of temperature from $20^{\circ]C\; to\; 90^{\circ}C\; at\; 1^{\circ}C/min$. The non-linear regression analysis showed that melting temperatures were 68.4, 72.0, and $82.3^{\circ}C$ for no cAMP, 0.1mM cAMP, and 5mM cAMP, respectively. Result showed the strong thermal stability of CRP by binding of additional cAMP molecules to region between the hinge region and helix-turn-helix(HTH) motif at 5mM cAMP concentration.

• BMB Reports
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.268-273
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• 2001

In addition to the recognition site for glutamate, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-preferring glutamate receptor subtype shows a binding site for glycine. In this paper, we present the effects of 3-(4,6-dichloro-2-carboxymethylamino-5,7-dichloroquinoline-2-carboxylic acid (MDL 29951), a potent inhibitor of glycine binding to the NMDA receptor, on glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) from bovine brains. The incubation of GDH isoproteins from bovine brains with MDL 29951 resulted in a dose-dependent loss of enzyme activity Separately or together, 2-oxoglutarate and NADH did not give an efficient protection against the inhibition, indicating that GDH isoproteins saturated with NADH or 2-oxoglutarate are still open to attack by MDL 29951. MDL 29951 was an uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to both 2-oxoglutarate and NADH for GDH isoproteins. These results suggest that the binding site of MDL 29951 is not directly located at the catalytic site, and the inhibition of GDH isoproteins by MDL 29951 is probably due to a steric hindrance, or a conformational change altered upon the interaction of the enzyme with its inhibitor. The inhibitory effects of MDL 29951 on GDH isoproteins were significantly diminished in the presence of ADP. GDH I reacted more sensitively with ADP than GDH II on the inhibition by MDL 29951. Our results suggest a possibility that the two types of GDHs are differently regulated by MDL 29951, depending on the physiological concentrations of ADP.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1429-1436
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• 2000

Objectives : This study was performed in cultured rat hippocampal neurons to investigate the acute electrophysiological features of ionotropic glutamate receptors which act as a major excitatory neurotransmitter in mammalian brain. Method : Glutamate receptor agonists were applied into the bath solution embedding in whole-cell patch-clamp recording of single hippocampal neuron. Results : In voltage-clamped at -60mV and the presence of 1mmol $Mg^{2+}$, extracellulary applied NMDA did not induce any inward current. Both the elimination of $Mg^{2+}$ and addition of glycine in bath, however, elicited a NMDAinduced inward current. $Mg^{2+}$ block current was increased gradually in more negative potentials from -30mV, showing a negative slope in I-V plot with $Mg^{2+}$. Glutamate-induced current represented an outward rectification. A non-NMDA receptor component occupied about 40% of glutamate-induced current in the voltage range of -80mV to +60mV. Conclusion : Present study suggests that glutamate activates acutely the non-NMDA receptors which induces an inward current in the level of resting membrane potential. This makes the membrane potential increase and can activate the NMDA receptors that permit calcium influx against $Mg^{2+}$ block. At the depolarized state of neuron, there may be recovery mechanisms of membrane potential to repolarize irrespective of voltage-dependent potassium channels in the hippocampal neurons.