• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-35
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• 1997

Fertilized egg, by successive cell divisions, differentiates into different tissues and organs with various structures and functions. Different cells and tissues contain different proteins, products of selective gene expression. Not all the genes in any genomes are equally active, temporal and spatial gene expression being the general rule. Present paper attempts to review the tanscriptional mechanisms or the initiations of transcription from several angles. In some of the organisms the genes in the process of transcription or the genes in the inactive state can be seen under the light microscope. Some bands of Drosophila polytene chromosomes may exhibit a swollen or puff appearance under certain conditions. A puff, unfolded or decondensed form of chromomere, represents sets of intense transcriptional activity or RNA synthesis. The heterochromatic X chromosome whose genes remain inactive in the female mammals can be visualized as a dark staining structure called Barr body, Configuration of chromatin differs between transcribed and nontranscribed chromatin. Modification to the chromatin facilitates RNA synthesis. The movement of large polymerase molecule along the DNA would probably be facilitated if some modifications of the chromatin configuration is effected. Methylation of cytosines in CG sequences is associated with inactive genes. Methylation can play a role in determination of mammalian cells during embryogenesis. Demethylation is necessary for the gene to be expressed during development A histone modification that is also known to be correlated with transcriptional capacity of chromatin is acetylation of the lysine residues of the core histones. Chromatin containing a high level of histone acetylation is very sensitive to DNase 1. For the transcription to occur TBP must first bind to the TATA box. Another TF, TF IIB, then binds to the promoter-TBP complex, facilitating the access of RNA polymerase to the transcription initiation site. As recently as eight years ago researchers assumed that histones were irrelevant to the regulation of gene expression. Histones combine with the DNA to form nucleosome of the chromatin. Histones are vital participant in gene regulation. Histone and basal factors compete for access to TATA box. When DNA is exposed to basal factors before histones are introduced, the basal factors assemble on TATA boxes preventing the access of histones, allowing transcription to occur, for transcription to begin, activator protein at the upstream activation sequence or enhancer must interact with the tail of histone H4 at TATA box and cause the histone role particle to dissociate from the TATA box leading to partial breakup of the histone core particle and allowing the basal factors to bind to the TATA box. New concept of genomic flux in contrast to the old concept of static genome has been developed based on the powerful new molecular techniques. Genomic changes such as repetitive DNAs and transposable elements, it is assumed but not yet proved, may affect some of the developmental patterns that characterize particular cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. In the last decade or so remarkable achievement have been made in the researches of the structures and functions of TFs and the specific target sequences located in promoters or enhancers where these TFs bind. TFs have independent domains that bind DNA and that activate transcription. DNA binding domain of TFs serves to bring the protein into the right location. There are many types of DNA binding domains. Common types of motifs can be found that are responsible for binding to DNA. The motifs are usually quite short and comprise only a small part of the protein structure. Steroid receptors have domains for hormone binding, DNA binding, and activating transcription. The zinc finger motif comprises a DNA binding domain. Leucine zipper consist of a stretch of amino acids with a leucine residue in every seventh position Two proteins form a dimer because they interact by means of leucine zippers on similar α-helical domain. This positions their DNA binding basic domains for interaction with the two halves of a DNA sequence with dyad symmetry of TGACTCA, ACTGAGT.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.824-831
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• 2021

1, 2-Octanediol galactoside (OD-gal) has been synthesized from 1, 2-octanediol (OD), as a safer cosmetic preservative, using recombinant Escherichia coli β-galactosidase (β-gal). To confirm the molecular structure of synthesized OD-gal, mass spectrometry and NMR (¹H- and ¹³C-) spectroscopy of OD-gal were carried out. In the reaction mixture, a sodium adduct ion of OD-gal (m/z=331.1732) was identified using mass spectrometry analysis. In addition, ¹H NMR spectrum of OD-gal showed multiple peaks corresponding to the galactosyl group, which is evidence of galactosylation on OD. Downfield proton peaks at δ_H 4.39 ppm and multiple peaks from δ_H 3.98~3.55 ppm were indicative of galactosylation on OD. Up field proton peaks at δ_H 1.52~1.26 ppm and 0.89 ppm showed the presence of CH₂ and CH₃ protons of OD. ¹³C NMR spectrum revealed the presence of 24 carbons suggestive of α- and β-anomers of OD-gal. Among 14 carbon peaks from each anomer, the 4 peaks at δ_C 31.4, 29.0, 22.3, and 13.7 ppm were assigned to be overlapped showing only 24 peaks out of a total of 28 peaks. The mass value from mass spectrometry analysis of OD-gal, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral data were in good agreement with the expecting structure of OD-gal. Finally, we identified a galactose molecule from the hydrolysate of OD-gal using β-gal. We are expecting that through future study it will eventually be able to develop a safe cosmetic preservative.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.151-161
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• 2004

Three dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR) studies for the protox inhibition activities against root and shoot of rice plant (Orysa sativa L.) and barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) by a series of new A=3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimino, B=3-chloro-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-indazolyl and C=3,4-dimethylmaleimino group, and R-group substituted on the phenyl ring in 1-(5-methyl-3-phenylisoxazolin-5-yl)methoxy-2chloro-4-fluorobenzene derivatives were performed using comparative molecular field analyses (CoMFA) methodology with Gasteiger-Huckel charge. Four CoMFA models for the protox inhibition activities against root and shoot of the two plants were generated using 46 molecules as training set and the predictive ability of the each models was evaluated against a test set of 8 molecules. And the statistical results of these models with combination (SIH) of standard field, indicator field and H-bond field showed the best predictability of the protox inhibition activities based on the cross-validated value $r^2_{cv.}$ $(q^2=0.635\sim0.924)$, conventional coefficient $(r^2_{ncv.}=0.928\sim0.977)$ and PRESS value $(0.091\sim0.156)$, respectively. The activities exhibited a strong correlation with steric $(74.3\sim87.4%)$, electrostatic $(10.10\sim18.5%)$ and hydrophobic $(1.10\sim8.30%)$ factors of the molecules. The steric feature of molecule may be an important factor for the activities. We founded that an novel selective and higher protox inhibitors between the two plants may be designed by modification of X-subsitutents for barnyardgrass based upon the results obtained from CoMFA analyses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.119-126
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• 2011

There is a growing recognition of the significance of $H_2S$ as a biological signaling molecule involved in vascular and nervous system functions. In mammals, two enzymes in the transsulfuration pathway, cystathionine ${\beta}$-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine ${\gamma}$-lyase (CGL), are believed to be chiefly responsible for $H_2S$ biogenesis. Genetic inborn error of CGL leads to human genetic disease, cystathioninuria, by accumulating cystathionine in the body. This disease is secondarily associated with a wide range of diseases including diabetes insipidus and Down's syndrome. Although the human CGL (hCGL) overexpression is essential for the investigation of its function, structure, reaction specificity, substrate specificity, and protein-protein interactions, there is no clear report concerning optimum overexpression conditions. In this study, we report a detailed analysis of the overexpression conditions of the hCGL using a bacterial system. Maximum overexpression was obtained in conditions of low culture temperature after inducer addition, performing low aeration during overexpression, and using a low concentration inducer (0.1 mM, IPTG) for induction. Expressed hCGL was purified by His-tag affinity column chromatography and confirmed by Western blot using hCGL antibody and enzyme activity analysis. We also report that the His tag with TEV site attached protein exhibits 76% activity for ${\alpha}-{\gamma}$ elimination reaction with L-cystathionine and 88% for ${\alpha}-{\beta}$ elimination reaction with L-cysteine compared to those of wild type hCGL, respectively. His tag with TEV site attached protein also exhibits a 420 nm absorption maximum, which is attributed to the binding cofactor, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP).