• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.135-142
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• 1997

Random sequencing of expressed sequence tags in roots of Chinese cabbage led to isolation of a partial cDNA clone, BR77, which encoded a putative protein kinase. Using the BR77 cDNA as a probe, we isolated a full-length cDNA encoding the Brassica campestris protein kinase 1 (Bcpk1). The Bcpt1 cDNA contained one open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 439 amino acids. The putative polypeptide consisted of a short N-terminal region and a protein kinase catalytic domain. The catalytic domain of Bcpkl showed a high homology to cAMP- and calcium- phospholipid-dependent subfamilies of serine/threonine protein kineses. Eleven major catalytic domains in protein kineses were well conserved in Bcpk1. However, Bcpk1 contained a unique nonhomologous intervening sequence between subdomains VII and VIII, which was not found in protein kineses of animals and lower eukaryotes. Genomic DNA gel blot analysis showed that Bcpt1 genes might be present as three copies in the Chinese cabbage genome. These imply that Bcpk1 belongs to a plant-specific serine/threonine protein kinase subfamily.

• Proceedings of the Korea Crystallographic Association Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.24-24
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• 2002

HtrA (high temperature requirement A), a periplasmic heat shock protein, is known to have molecular chaperone function at low temperatures and proteolytic activity at elevated temperatures. To investigate the mechanism of functional switch to pretense, we have determined the crystal structure of the N-terminal protease domain (PD) of HtrA from Thermotoga maritima. HtrA PD shares the same fold with chymotrypsin-like serine professes. However, crystal structure suggests that HtrA PD is not an active pretense at current state since its active site is not formed properly and blocked by an additional helical lid. On the surface of the lid, HtrA PD has hydrophobic patches that could be potential substrate binding sites for molecular chaperone activity. Present structure suggests that the activation of the proteolytic function of HtrA PD at elevated temperatures might occur by the conformational change.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.61-61
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• 2015

Rice blast, caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most destructive diseases of rice worldwide. The rice - M. oryzae pathosystem has become a model in the study of plant - fungal interactions due to its economic importance and accumulating knowledge. During the evolutionary arms race with M. oryzae, rice plants evolved a repertoire of Resistance (R) genes to protect themselves from diseases in a gene-for-gene fashion. M. oryzae secretes a battery of small effector proteins to manipulate host functions for its successful infection, and some of them are recognized by host R proteins as avirulence effectors (AVR), which turns on strong immunity. Therefore, the analysis of interactions between AVRs and their cognate R proteins provide crucial insights into the molecular basis of plant - fungal interactions. Rice blast resistance genes Pik, Pia, Pii comprise pairs of protein-coding ORFs, Pik-1 and Pik-2, RGA4 and RGA5, Pii-1 and Pii-2, respectively. In all three cases, the paired genes are tightly linked and oriented to the opposite directions. In the AVR-Pik/Pik interaction, it has been unraveled that AVR-Pik binds to the N-terminal coiled-coil domain of Pik-1. RGA4 and RGA5 are necessary and sufficient to mediate Pia resistance and recognize the M. oryzae effectors AVR-Pia and AVR1-CO39. A domain at the C-terminus of RGA5 characterized by a heavy metal associated domain was identified as the AVR-binding domain of RGA5. Similarly, physical interactions among Pii-1, Pii-2 and AVR-Pii are being analyzed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2001

The cDNA encoding human NeuAc ${\alpha}$2,3Gal$\beta$ 1,3GalNAc GalNac ${\alpha}$2,6-Sialyltransferase (hST6GalNac IV) was isolated by screening of human fetal liver cDNA library with a DNA probe generated from the cDNA sequence of mouse ST6Gal NAc IV (mkST6GalNAc IV). The cDNA sequence included an open reading frame coding for 302 amino acids, and comparative analysis of this cDNA with mST6GalNAc IV showed that each sequence of the predicted coding region contains 88% and 85% identifies in nucleotide and amino acid levels, respecively. The primary structure of this enzyme suggested a putative domain structure, like that in other glycosyltransferases, consisting of a short N-terminal cytoplamic domain, a transmembrane domain and a large C-terminal active domain. This enzyme expressed in COS-7 cells echibited transferase activity toward NeuAc ${\alpha}$2,3Gal$\beta$ 1,3GalNAc, fetuin and GM1b, although the activity toward the later is very low, no significant activity being detected toward Gal${\beta}$ 1,3Gal NAc or asialofetuin, the other glycoprotein substrates tested. The $^{14}$ C-sialylated residue of fetuin sialylated by this enzyem with CMP-[$^{14}$C]NeuAc was sensitive to treatment with ${\alpha}$2,8-specific sialidase of Vibrio cholerae but resistant to treatment with ${\alpha}$2,3-specific sialidase (NaNase I), and ${\alpha}$2,3- and ${\alpha}$2,8-specific sialidase of Newcastle disease virus. These results clearly indicated that the expressed enzyme is a type of GalNAc ${\alpha}$2,6-sialyltransferase like mST6GalNAc IV, which requires sialic acid residues linked to Gal${\beta}$1,3GalNAc-residues for its activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.304-313
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• 2004

Three-dimensional (3D) models for the 65-kDa activated Cry4A and Cry4B $\delta$-endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis that are specifically toxic to mosquito-larvae were constructed by homology modeling, based on atomic coordinates of the Cry1Aa and Cry3Aa crystal structures. They were structurally similar to the known structures, both derived 3D models displayed a three-domain organization: the N-terminal domain (I) is a seven-helix bundle, while the middle and C-terminal domains are primarily comprise of anti-parallel $\beta$-sheets. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed the secondary structural contents of the two homology-based Cry4 structures. A structural analysis of both Cry4 models revealed the following: (a) Residues Arg-235 and Arg-203 are located in the interhelical 5/6 loop within the domain I of Cry4A and Cry4B, respectively. Both are solvent exposed. This suggests that they are susceptible to tryptic cleavage. (b) The unique disulphide bond, together with a proline-rich region within the long loop connecting ${\alpha}4$ and ${\alpha}5$ of Cry4A, were identified. This implies their functional significance for membrane insertion. (c) Significant structural differences between both models were found within domain II that may reflect their different activity spectra. Structural insights from this molecular modeling study would therefore increase our understanding of the mechanic aspects of these two closely related mosquito-larvicidal proteins.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.725-732
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• 2016

Plasmodium vivax produces numerous caveola-vesicle complex (CVC) structures beneath the membrane of infected erythrocytes. Recently, a member helical interspersed subtelomeric (PHIST) superfamily protein, $PcyPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$, was identified as CVCs-associated protein in Plasmodium cynomolgi and essential for survival of this parasite. Very little information has been documented to date about $PHIST/CVC-81_{95}$ protein in P. vivax. In this study, the recombinant $PvPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$ N and C termini were expressed, and immunoreactivity was assessed using confirmed vivax malaria patients sera by protein microarray. The subcellular localization of $PvPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$ N and C termini in blood stage parasites was also determined. The antigenicity of recombinant $PvPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$ N and C terminal proteins were analyzed by using serum samples from the Republic of Korea. The results showed that immunoreactivities to these proteins had 61% and 43% sensitivity and 96.9% and 93.8% specificity, respectively. The N terminal of $PvPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$ which contains transmembrane domain and export motif (PEXEL; RxLxE/Q/D) produced CVCs location throughout the erythrocytic-stage parasites. However, no fluorescence was detected with antibodies against C terminal fragment of $PvPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$. These results suggest that the $PvPHIST/CVC-81_{95}$ is localized on the CVCs and may be immunogenic in natural infection of P. vivax.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2004

Recently, we reported a satellite RNA (Paf-satRNA) which is encapsidated in a pepper isolate of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-Paf) regulated symptom attenuation of the helper virus. To characterize mild symptom domain of Paf-satRNA, a series of chimeric cDNAs of satRNAs were created by using full-length cDNA clones of Paf-satRNA and a Pep-satRNA, chlorosis-inducing satRNA in pepper plants, and analyzed for determinants of symptom attenuation. When compared the nucleotide sequences, the 3' and 5' terminal sequences of the two wild-type (wt) satRNAs contained relatively conserved sequences which are the typical to CMV satRNA. Ten bases insertions were found in PepY-satRNA, and two variable regions, 81st to 113th and 183rd to 265th from the 5'-end, were located in the middle parts of the satRNAs. To delineate the attenuated symptom-related domain for the Paf-satRNA, in vitro transcripts RNAs transcribed from the wt cDNAs and constructed chimeric cDNAs were combined with genomic RNAs, RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3, of CMV-Fny and inoculated onto Nicotiana benthamiana plants. These transcripts were fully infectious onto the N. benthamiana and infectivity was confirmed by the RT-PCR. Chimeric Paf(H/N)-satRNA and PepY(N/A)-satRNA as well as Paf-satRNA induced very mild mosaic or symptomless infection on N. benthamiana. By contrast, typical mosaic symptom and stunting of infected plants were induced when PepY-satRNA, PepY(H/N)-satRNA and Paf(N/A)-satRNA were infected to N. benthamiana. Paf-satRNA coinfected with CMV-Fny RNAs induced very mild to sympomless on pepper plants whereas PepY-satRNA-infected pepper expressed typical chlorosis mosaic symptom. Two kinds of chimeric mutants, Paf(H/N)-satRNA and PepY(N/A)-satRNA, induced mild mosaic or symptomless infection onto pepper plants, while PepY(H/N)-satRNA and Paf(N/A)-satRNA showed typical chlorosis and mosaic symptom with stunting. This results suggest that mild symptom-related domain for the Paf-satRNA was located on HpaI-NarI region.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2013

Against environmental stresses, many bacteria utilize the alternate sigma factor RpoS that induces transcription of the specific set of genes helpful in promoting bacterial survival. Intracellular levels of RpoS are determined mainly by its turnover through proteolysis of ClpXP protease. Delivery of RpoS to ClpXP strictly requires the adaptor protein RssB. The two-component-type response regulator RssB constantly interacts with RpoS, but diverse environmental changes inhibit this interaction through modification of RssB activity, which increases RpoS levels in bacteria. This review discusses and summarizes recent findings on regulatory factors in RssB-RpoS interactions, including IraD, IraM, IraP anti-adaptor proteins of RssB and phosphorylation of N-terminal receiver domain of RssB. New information shows that the coordinated regulation of RssB activity in controlling RpoS turnover confers efficient bacterial defense against stresses.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.201-205
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• 2001

Thionins are a family of low molecular weight cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides. We isolated a cDNA encoding thionin gene from a flower bud cDNA library of Chinese cabbage (CFT). The gene contains 611 by nucleotides with 60 bp, and 150 by untranslated regions at its N- and C-terminal, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence encoded 133 amino acids containing precursor polypeptide. The protein reveals that the precursor has a tripartite structure: a putative signal sequence at the N-terminus, followed by a mature thionin peptide, and a C-terminal acidic domain, which facilitates transport of the mature thionin through membrane. Genomic Southern blot analysis suggests that the CFT gene may be present as a single or two copy gene in the Chinese cabbage genome. Northern blot analysis shows that the gene is specifically expressed in flowers, but not in leaves, stems, or roots. When we analyzed the antifungal activity of the recombinant CFT protein, which was expressed in E. coli using the truncated cDNA region corresponding to the mature protein part, it was not active on fungal growth inhibition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1999-2009
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• 2017

The secretion efficiency of a protein in a Sec-type secretion system is mainly determined by an N-terminal signal peptide and its combination with its cognate protein. Five signal peptides, namely, two synthetic Sec-type and three Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase-derived signal peptides, were compared for periplasmic expression of the human growth hormone (hGH) in E. coli. Based on in silico predictions on the signal peptides' cleavage efficiencies and their corresponding mRNA secondary structures, a number of amino acid substitutions and silent mutations were considered in the modified signal sequences. The two synthetic signal peptides, specifically designed for hGH secretion in E. coli, differ in their N-terminal positively charged residues and hydrophobic region lengths. According to the mRNA secondary structure predictions, combinations of the protein and each of the five signal sequences could lead to different outcomes, especially when accessibility of the initiator ATG and ribosome binding sites were considered. In the experimental stage, the two synthetic signal peptides displayed complete processing and resulted in efficient secretion of the mature hGH in periplasmic regions, as was demonstrated by protein analysis. The three alpha-amylase-derived signal peptides, however, were processed partially from their precursors. Therefore, to achieve efficient secretion of a protein in a heterologous system, designing a specific signal peptide by using a combined approach of optimizations of the mRNA secondary structure and the signal peptide H-domain and cleavage site is recommended.