• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.303-309
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• 1994

The analysis of membrane receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters has progressed considerably by pharmacological and biochemical means and more recently through the use of specific antibodies. Two kinds of antibodies could be produced, one is from synthetic peptides and the other from proteins such as purified receptor. Anti-peptide antibodies gave some advantages; epitope is evident and also receptor purification in quantity is not prerequisite. It can be also applied to the study of receptor structure-activity relationship. The purpose of the present study was 1) to produce and characterize a polyclonal antibody against a synthetic $\beta$2-adrenergic receptor peptide(Phe-Gly-Asn-Phe-Trp-Cys-Phe-Trp-Thr-Ser-Ile-Asp-Val-Leu) and 2) to determine the effects of this antibody on the $\beta$-adrenergic receptor ligand interaction. The peptide sequence contains an amino acid residue such as Asp-113 which was identified as one of important component for receptor-ligand interaction in site-directed mutagenesis studies. Production of antibody was performed by immunization of rabbits through popliteal lymph node with the peptide coupled with Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH). The titer of antibody against this peptide was 1 : 1000. The anti-peptide antibody was able to detect a 67 kDa protein band in western blot corresponding to the molecular weight of the $\beta$-adrenergic receptor in partially purified receptor fraction derived from guinea pig lung. The antisera inhibited the specific binding of [$^3$H]dihydroalprenolol to $\beta$-adrenergic receptor in a concentration-dependent manner. The results from this study suggest that the peptide sequence selected in the present study is important for the receptor ligand interaction.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.239-249
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• 2019

Membrane-anchored full-length MET stimulated by its ligand HGF/SF induces various biological responses, including survival, growth, and invasion. This panel of responses, referred to invasive growth, is required for embryogenesis and tissue regeneration in adults. On the contrary, MET deregulation is associated with tumorigenesis in many kinds of cancer. In addition to its well-documented ligand-stimulated downstream signaling, the receptor can be cleaved by proteases such as secretases, caspases, and calpains. These cleavages are involved either in MET receptor inactivation or, more interestingly, in generating active fragments that can modify cell fate. For instance, MET fragments can promote cell death or invasion. Given a large number of proteases capable of cleaving MET, this receptor appears as a prototype of proteolytic-cleavage-regulated receptor tyrosine kinase. In this review, we describe and discuss the mechanisms and consequences, both physiological and pathological, of MET proteolytic cleavages.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.486-489
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• 2008

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a pigment derived from turmeric, has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Accumulating evidence points to a biochemical link between increased oxidative stress and reduced bone density. Osteoclast formation was evaluated in co-cultures of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and whole bone marrow cells (BMC). Expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL) was analyzed at the mRNA and protein levels. Exposure to curcumin led to dose-dependent suppression of osteoclastogenesis in the co-culture system, and to reduced expression of RANKL in $IL-1{\alpha}$-stimulated BMSCs. Addition of RANKL abolished the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis by curcumin, whereas the addition of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) did not. The decreased osteoclastogenesis induced by curcumin may reduce bone loss and be of potential benefit in preventing and/or attenuating osteoporosis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 1998

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of senescence on the binding properties of muscarinic receptors in the neostriatum of young (3 months), middle-aged (18 months) and aged (33 months) male Fischer 344 x Brown Norway hybrid rats by employing direct binding of selective radiolabeled antagonists. Using the selective M, muscarinic receptor antagonist, $[^3H]$AF-DX384, as the ligand, no significant difference in the maximal receptor density (Bmax) was observed in the neostriatum among any age-groups. In contrast, with the selective M, receptor antagonist, $[^3H]$4-DAMP, a significant increase in the number of muscarinic receptors was observed in neostriatal membrane fractions prepared from the aged animals relative to that observed in the young rats. For each ligand there was no age-related change in its affinity (Kd) for the muscarinic receptors. These results indicate that the observed age-related changes in the muscarinic receptor density may not be necessarily decremuntal and depend upon the muscarinic receptor subtype examined.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1801-1806
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• 2004

Ligand-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies were performed on indolinones derivatives as a potential inhibitor of the protein tyrosine kinase of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) by comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) implemented in the SYBYL packages. The initial X-ray structure of docked ligand (Su5402) to FGFR was used to minimize the 27 training set molecules using TRIPOS force field. Seven models were generated using CoMFA and CoMSIA with grid spacing 2 ${\AA}$. After the PLS analysis the best predicted CoMSIA model with hydrophobicity, hydrogen bond donor and acceptor property showed that a leave-one out(LOO) cross validated value $({r^2}_{cv})^$ and non-cross validated conventional value $({r^2}_{ncv})^$ are 0.543 and 0.938, respectively.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.162-167
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• 2010

A pseudoreceptor combines structure-based and ligand-based techniques to represent a unifying concept for both receptor mapping and ligand matching. In this molecular modeling approach, there are opportunities to construct the pseudoreceptor models using a set of small molecules. To build a reliable pseudoreceptor model, we need a set of ligand molecules with known affinity (biological activity) to generate 3D bioactive conformation for each of these ligand molecules. Several software packages are available to generate a pseudoreceptor model and this can provide an entry point for structure based drug discovery in cases where receptor structure information is not available. In this review, we presented the concept of pseudoreceptor, as well as discussed about various software packages available to generate a pseudoreceptor model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.114-114
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• 2003

Ginseng is a medicinal herb widely used in Asian countries, and its pharmacological effects has been demonstrated in various systems such as cardiovascular, central nervous, and endocrine systems. Its effects are mainly attributed to the ginsenosides. We hypothesize that a component of Panax ginseng, ginsenoside-Rbl, acts by binding to estrogen receptor. We have investigated the estrogenic activity of ginsenoside-Rbl in a transient transfection system using estrogen receptors ${\alpha}$ or ${\beta}$ with estrogen -responsive luciferase plasmids in COS monkey kidney cells. Ginsenoside-Rbl activated both estrogen receptors ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ in a dose-dependent manner (0.5 -100 M ). Activation was inhibited by the specific estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780, indicating that the estrogenic effect of ginsenoside-Rbl is estrogen receptor dependent. Next, we evaluated the ability of ginsenoside-Rbl to induce estrogen-responsive progesterone receptor gene by semi-quantitative RT-PCR assays. MCF-7 cells treated with l7${\beta}$-estradiol or ginsenoside- Rb1 exhibited an increased expression of progesterone receptor mRNA. However, ginsenoside-Rbl failed to displace the specific binding of ［3H］17${\beta}$-estradiol to estrogen receptor in MCF-7 cells as examined by whole cell ligand binding assays, suggesting that there is no direct interaction of ginsenoside-Rbl with estrogen receptor. Our results indicate that estrogen-like activity of ginsenoside-Rbl is independent of direct estrogen receptor association.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute an important class of drug targets and are involved in every aspect of human physiology including sleep regulation, blood pressure, mood, food intake, perception of pain, control of cancer growth, and immune response. Radiometric assays have been the classic method used during the search for potential therapeutics acting at various GPCRs for most GPCR-based drug discovery research programs. An increasing number of diverse small molecules, together with novel GPCR targets identified from genomics efforts, necessitates the use of high-throughput assays with a good sensitivity and specificity. Currently, a wide array of high-throughput tools for research on GPCRs is available and can be used to study receptor-ligand interaction, receptor driven functional response, receptor-receptor interaction,and receptor internalization. Many of the assay technologies are based on luminescence or fluorescence and can be easily applied in cell based models to reduce gaps between in vitro and in vivo studies for drug discovery processes. Especially, cell based models for GPCR can be efficiently employed to deconvolute the integrated information concerning the ligand-receptor-function axis obtained from label-free detection technology. This review covers various platform technologies used for the research of GPCRs, concentrating on the principal, non-radiometric homogeneous assay technologies. As current technology is rapidly advancing, the combination of probe chemistry, optical instruments, and GPCR biology will provide us with many new technologies to apply in the future.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2016

Several members of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily that these members activate caspase-8 from death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) in TNF ligand-receptor signal transduction have been identified. In the extrinsic pathway, apoptotic signal transduction is induced in death domain (DD) superfamily; it consists of a hexahelical bundle that contains 80 amino acids. The DD superfamily includes about 100 members that belong to four subfamilies: death domain (DD), caspase recruitment domain (CARD), pyrin domain (PYD), and death effector domain (DED). This superfamily contains key building blocks: with these blocks, multimeric complexes are formed through homotypic interactions. Furthermore, each DD-binding event occurs exclusively. The DD superfamily regulates the balance between death and survival of cells. In this study, the structures, functions, and unique features of DD superfamily members are compared with their complexes. By elucidating structural insights of DD superfamily members, we investigate the interaction mechanisms of DD domains; these domains are involved in TNF ligand-receptor signaling. These DD superfamily members play a pivotal role in the development of more specific treatments of cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.411-417
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• 2019

Humanin (HN) is a mitochondrial peptide that exhibits cytoprotective actions against various stresses and diseases. HN has been shown to induce the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is a negative regulator of receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL). However, the role of HN in osteoclastogenesis or other skeletal disorders remains unknown. Here, we examined whether HN regulates osteoclastogenesis via AMPK activation using bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMM) cultures. Our results show that HN inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and reduced the expression of genes involved in osteoclastogenesis, including nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1, osteoclastassociated receptor, cathepsin K, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase. Moreover, HN increased the levels of phosphorylated AMPK protein; compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, recovered HN-induced osteoclast differentiation. In addition, we found that HN significantly decreased the levels of RANKL-induced reactive oxygen species in BMMs. Therefore, these results indicate that HN plays an important role in osteoclastogenesis and may function as an inhibitor of bone disorders via AMPK activation.