• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.357-364
• /
• 2000

Members of the glycoprotein family, which includes CG, LH, FSH and TSH, comprise two noncovalently linked $\alpha$- and $\beta$-subunits. Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), known as PMSG, has a number of interesting and unique characteristics since it appears to be a single molecule that possesses both LH- and FSH-like activities in other species than the horse. This dual activity of eCG in heterologous species is of fundamental interest to the study of the structure-function relationships of gonadotropins and their receptors. CG and LH $\beta$ genes are different in primates. In horse, however, a single gene encodes both eCG and eLH $\beta$ -subunits. The subunit mRNA levels seem to be independently regulated and their imbalance may account for differences in the quantities of $\alpha$ - and $\beta$-subunits in the placenta and pituitary. The dual activities of eCG could be separated by removal of the N-linked oligosaccharide on the $\alpha$-subunit Asn 56 or CTP-associated O-linked oligosaccharides. The tethered-eCG was efficiently secreted and showed similar LH-like activity to the dimeric eCG. Interestingly, the FSH-like activity of the tethered-eCG was increased markedly in comparison with the native and wild type eCG. These results also suggest that this molecular can implay particular models of FSH-like activity not LH-like activity in the eCG/indicate that the constructs of tethered molecule will be useful in the study of mutants that affect subunit association and/or secretion. A single-chain analog can also be constructed to include additional hormone-specific bioactive generating potentially efficacious compounds that have only FSH-like activity. The LH/CG receptor (LH/CGR), a membrane glycoprotein that is present on testicular Leydig cells and ovarian theca, granulosa, luteal, and interstitial cells, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of gonadal development and function in males as well as in nonpregnant and pregnant females. The LH/CGR is a member of the family of G protein-coupled receptors and its structure is predicted to of a large extracellular domain connected to a bundle of seven membrane-spanning a-helices. The LH/CGR phosphorylation can be induced with a phorbol ester, but not with a calcium ionophore. The truncated form of LHR also was down-regulated normally in response to hCG stimulation. In contrast, the cell lines expressing LHR-t631 or LHR-628, the two phosphorylation-negative receptor mutant, showed a delay in the early phase of hCG-induced desensitization, a complete loss of PMA-induced desensitization, and an increase in the rate of hCG-induced receptor down-regulation. These results clearly show that residues 632~653 in the C-terminal tail of the LHR are involved in PMA-induced desensitization, hCG-induced desensitization, and hCG-induced down-regulation. Recently, constitutively activating mutations of the receptor have been identified that are associated with familial male-precocious puberty. Cells expressing LHR-D556Y bind hCG with normal affinity, exhibit a 25-fold increase in basal cAMP and respond to hCG with a normal increase in cAMP accumulation. This mutation enhances the internalization of the free and agoinst-occupied receptors ~2- and ~17- fold, respectively. We conclude that the state of activation of the LHR can modulate its basal and/or agonist-stimulated internalization. Since the internalization of hCG is involved in the termination of hCG actions, we suggest that the lack of responsiveness detected in cells expressing LHR-L435R is due to the fast rate of internalization of the bound hCG. This statement is supported by the finding that hCG responsiveness is restored when the cells are lysed and signal transduction is measured in a subcellular fraction (membranes) that cannot internalize the bound hormone.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.344-350
• /
• 1993

25,26,27,28-Tetraacetoxycalix[4]arene·monohydrate is orthorhombic, space group Pbca with a = 14.979(4), b = 15.154(4), c = 27.890(3) ${\AA}$, Z = 8, V = 6330.6 ${\AA}^{-3}$, D$_c$ = 1.28 $g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, (Mo K${\alpha}$) = 0.71069 ${\AA}$, ${\mu}$ = 0.86 cm$^{-1}$, F(000) = 2600, and R = 0.069 for 3376 unique observed reflections with I > 1.0 ${\sigma}$(I). The structure was solved by direct methods and refined by cascade diagonal least-squares refinement. All the C-H bond lengths(= 0.96 ${\AA}$), the methyl groups and the methylene groups are fixed and refined as the rigid groups with ideal geometry. The macrocycle exists in the 1,3 alternate conformation (by Conforth) making the angles of 110.7, 684, 113.7 and 68.8$^{\circ}$ between the benzene rings and the methylenic mean plane, and four each acetoxy groups are twisted away from their own benzene rings with the angles of 68.2, 97.6, 78.9 and 71.3$^{\circ}$, respectively. The relative dihedral angles between two opposite side of the benzene rings are 135.6$^{\circ}$ for the rings (1) and (3) and 135.2$^{\circ}$ for (2) and (4). A water molecule which has nearly the same height of the methylenic plane of the macrocycle in the c-axis, is located within the distances of 2.942(5) ${\AA}$ from the O(8) atom of the carbonyl group and 2.901 ${\AA}$ from, another O(2)(1/2-x, -1/2＋y, z). The shortest contact between the molecule is 3.193 ${\AA}$ from the O(4) to the C(3)(1/2＋x, 1/2-y,-z).

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.473-476
• /
• 1993

Dipropargyldiphenylmetane, $C_{19}H_{16}, crystallizes in a monoclinic space group $C2/_c$$ with a = 11304(3), b = 20.799(5), c = 6.622(2)${\AA}$, ${\beta} = 112.8(3)^{\circ}$, Z = 4, V = 1435.3${\AA}^3,\;F(000)\;=\;520,\;D_c\;=\;1.14g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$ and ${\mu}\;=\;0.32\;cm^{-1}$. The structure was solved by direct methods and all non-H atoms were identified in the E-map. The final refinement gave R = 0.055 from 1328 unique observed reflections with I $\geq$ -1.0 $\sigma(I).$ The molecule belongs to the point group $C_2$ of Symmetry by possessing the 2-fold axis which coincides witeh the crystallographic symmetry axis in the unit cell. The linear propargyl moiety is nearly $perpendicular(94.2)^{\circ}$ to the molecular plane of the benzene ring. The internal angle of methane carbon atoms in $108.1(1)^{\circ}$, bonding to the benzene and the propargyl moiety with the bond lengths of 1.530(2) and $1.560(2)\AA$, respectively. The shortest contant between the molecules is $3.538(2)\AA$ between C(9) and C(9) (-x, y, -1/2-z).

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.669-675
• /
• 2011

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and in-situ Position Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy(PALS) analysis of hybrid film, which consist of silsesquioxane(SSQ) and 4-tert-butyl calix[4]arene-O,O',O",O'"-tetraacetic acid tetraethyl ester(CA[4]) have been investigated in order to understand initial formation of nanopore in the next generation porous low-k dielectrics(k < 2.0). SSQ/CA[4] can provide effective homogeneous thin film having porous structure. The porogen decomposition behavior were completely different in the two kinds of SSQ/CA[4] based hybrid film (i.e. SSQ/CA[4] 10 and SSQ/CA[4] 20%). Relatively small pores(1.5 nm) come from dispersion of uni-molecular CA[4] in the SSQ matrix have been generated at $300^{\circ}C$, while mesopores(2.5~3.0 nm) induced from self assembled CA[4] have been generated at $250^{\circ}C$. It might be due to highly interconnected structure of SSQ/CA[4] 20% hybrid thin film resulting in facile evacuating of decomposed fragment of CA[4] molecule.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.140-144
• /
• 2003

Type Ⅰ signal peptidase is an integral membrane protein that functions to cleave signal peptides from secreted and membrane proteins. The enzyme serves as a potential target for the development of novel antibacterial agents due to its unique physiological properties. Despite being one of the best characterized enzymes, the catalysis of Type Ⅰ signal peptidase still remains controversy over the catalytic serine/lysine dyad mechanism. It appears that the dyad proteases are generally less efficient than the prototypical serine/histidine/aspartic acid triad found in most enzymes, although Type Ⅰ signal peptidase is an exception to this rule. In this paper, we have proposed that Type Ⅰ signal peptidase may act as the serine/lysine/aspartic acid triad cataltytic mechanism. Therefore, the aspartic acid 99 residue in the E. coli signal peptidase was chosen and mutated to an alanine to see if there is any possible role of the aspartic acid in the catalytic function. Type Ⅰ signal peptidase D99A protein was inactive in vitro assay using the procoat synthesized by in vitro transcription translation. However, the mutant was active using a highly sensitive in vivo assay. Pulse-chase experiments show that the replacement of aspartic acid 99 with alanine results in a very unstable signal peptidase molecule. Therefore, we conclude that it is unlikely that the residue is directly involved in catalysis, but rather plays an important role in stabilizing the protein structure.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.30 no.4 s.48
• /
• pp.491-497
• /
• 2004

Holographic quantitative structure activity relationships (HQSAR) between the melanogenesis inhibitory activities of alkyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (A) and N-Alkyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzamide (B) derivatives were analyzed and discussed. The statistical results of HQSAR model for the activities showed the best predictability of the activities based on the cross-validated $r^2_{cv}\;(q^2=0.674),$ non-cross-validated, conventional coefficient $(r^2_{ncv}=0.936).$ The melanogenesis inhibitory activities and hydrolytic reactivity of (A) were slightly higher than that of (B) (A>B) and the activities depends upon the $R_1-substituents\;(R_1>R_2).$ It has been found using frontier molecular orbital (FMO) theory that the hydrolysis reactions of (A) and (B) proceeded to an orbital-controlled reactions, while the nucleophillc addition-elimination reactions $(Ad_{N-E})$ between LUMO energy of (A) and (B) and HOMO energy of water molecule are occurred.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.603-606
• /
• 1991

The crystal structure of Probenecid has been determined from 2574 independent reflections collected on an automatic ENRAF-NONIUS CAD-4 diffractometer using graphite-monochromated $Mo-K{\alpa}$ radiation. The crystal is triclinic, space group P$\bar{1}$ with unit cell dimensions a = 7.535(2)${\AA}$, b = 18.473 (5)${\AA}$, c = 5.317(9)${\AA}$, ${\alpha} = 92.00(5)^{\circ}$, ${\beta} = 99.02(5)^{\circ}$, ${\gamma} = 94.89(2)^{\circ}$, V = 727.4(2)${\AA}^3$, Z = 2, $D_m$ = 1.310, $D_x$ = $1.302 gcm^{-3}$, ${\mu}$ = $1.88 cm^{-1}$, F(000) = 304, and T = 298 K. Final R = 0.0676 and $R_w$ = O.0630 for 1209 reflections > 5${\sigma}(F_o)$. In the spacial arrangement about N(13), the sum of bond angles about nitrogen is 350.9° and the nitrogen lies only 0.268(6)${\AA}$ out of S(1)-C(14)-C(17) plane. The S(1)-C(4) distance is 1.792(6)${\AA}$ and the C(4)-S(1)-N(13) angle is $106.5(3)^{\circ}$. The overall conformation of the molecule is folded with respect to sulfur.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.35 no.7
• /
• pp.2043-2048
• /
• 2014

Two isomers of a new tetraaza macrotricycle 2,2,4,9,9,11-hexaazamethyl-1,5,8,12-tetraazatricyclo[$10.2.2^{5.8}$]-octadecane ($L^2$) containing additional N-$CH_2CH_2$-N linkages, C-meso-$L^2$ and C-racemic-$L^2$, have been prepared by the reaction of 1-bromo-2-chloroethane with C-meso-$L^1$ or C-racemic-$L^1$ ($L^1$ = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane). Both C-meso-$L^2$ and C-racemic-$L^2$ react with copper(II) ion to form $[Cu(C-meso-L^2)]^{2+}$ or $[Cu(C-racemic-L^2)]^{2+}$ in dehydrated ethanol, but do not with nickel(II) ion under similar conditions. Crystal structure of [Cu(C-racemic-$L^2$)($H_2O$)]$(ClO_4)_2$ shows that the complex has distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry with an apically coordinated water molecule. Unexpectedly, the Cu-N distances [2.016(3)-2.030(3) ${\AA}$] of [Cu(C-racemic-$L^2$)($H_2O$)]$(ClO_4)_2$ are longer than those [1.992(3)-2.000(3) ${\AA}$] of [Cu(C-racemic-$L^1$)($H_2O$)]$(ClO_4)_2$. As a result, $[Cu(C-racemic-L^2)(H_2O)]^{2+}$ exhibits weaker ligand field strength than $[Cu(C-racemic-L^1)(H_2O)]^{2+}$. The copper(II) complexes readily react with CN- ion to yield the cyano-bridged dinuclear complex $[Cu_2(C-meso-L^2)_2CN]^{3+}$ or $[Cu_2(C-racemic-L^2)_2CN]^{3+}$. Spectra and chemical properties of $[Cu(C-meso-L^2)]^{2+}$ and $[Cu_2(C-meso-L^2)_2CN]^{3+}$ are not quite different from those of $[Cu(C-racemic-L^2)]^{2+}$ and $[Cu_2(C-racemic-L^2)_2CN]^{3+}$, respectively.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.4 s.59
• /
• pp.209-217
• /
• 2006

Emulsion is a dispersion system among liquids which are not miscible together. There are numerous cosmetic raw materials which have different physicochemical properties. Therefore, emulsion technology is very useful in cosmetics. With the development of emulsifier, several emulsification technologies have been developed. Since HLB method by Griffin in 1950's, PIT method, gel method, and D-phase methods, etc, have been developed. Recently, the application of natural emulsifier and polymeric emulsifier increases in cosmetics in order to achieve enhanced safety and biocompatibility. Besides nano-emulsion, multiple-emulsion, liquid crystal emulsion, and Pickering emulsion have been developed and applied as means of differentiating appearance and texture of products and achieving enhanced delivery of active ingredients. Meanwhile, the application studies of nano-dispersed structural system such as liposome or cubosome are on progress. Liposome is a bi- or multi-lamella layer dispersion system composed of amhiphilic molecules - phospholipids which are main components of plasma membrane. Cubosome also is a nano-sized dispersion system composed of a specific molecule like glyceryl monoloeate derived from natural products. And it has a cubic bicontinuous structure in water due to its unique molecular structure. Incorporating compounds (active materials) into such nano-particles can increase biocompatibility and delivery efficiency of target compounds. Manufacturing process and application of cosmetic emulsions and nano-particles are briefly introduced in this paper.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.476-480
• /
• 2013

The growth behavior of $CH_4$ and $SF_6$ mixture gas hydrate has been investigated by a combined approach of Raman spectroscopy and molecular modeling. Raman spectroscopy results presented that when $CH_4$ is used only, $CH_4$ guest molecule is inserted first into the large cavity of the host structure built by $H_2O$ molecules and then into the small cavity to stabilize the whole gas hydrate structure. In the other hand, when $SF_6$ is mixed together, $SF_6$ is favored over (or competing with) $CH_4$ in being inserted into the large cavity and the small cavity still prefers $CH_4$ insertion. The calculations of binding energies clearly supported this. While $SF_6$ has a binding energy of -26.9 kcal/mol a little lower than -24.2 kcal/mol of $CH_4$ in the large cavity, $SF_6$ and $CH_4$ has 1.2 kcal/mol and -22.0 kcal/mol, respectively, in the small cavity. It indicates that the sizable $SF_6$ is not preferred in the small cavity but has a relative energetic advantage over $CH_4$ in the large cavity.