• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1999

Plants have been shown to contains $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-stimulated GAD and NAD kinase. To test how calmodulin and calmodulin methylation affect the activation of GAD and NAD kinase, GAD and NAD kinase were partially purified from tobacco plants. GAD was also partially purified from E. coli transformed with a plasmid carrying a cloned tobacco GAD gene. We find that GAD from the transformed E. coli showed 60-fold $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent activation. However, GAD from tobacco plants was stimulated only about 3.8-fold by the addition of calmodulin in the presence of calcium, suggesting high background activity of the enzyme was possibly due to bound endogenous tobacco calmodulin. There were no significant differences in the tobacco GAD activator properties between calmodulins. A monoclonal antibody against petunia GAD interacted strongly with both GAD from tobacco plants and GAD from cloned gene. NAD kinase from tobacco plants showed a complete $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin dependency for activity. Unmethylated calmodulins activated GAD in a manner similar to methylated calmodulin. However, the maximum level of NAD kinase activation obtained with unmethylated calmodulins is approximately 4-fold higher than methylated calmodutins. These data suggested that endogenous tobacco calmodulin may interact more tightly with GAD than NAD kinase and that calmodulin methylation affects the activator properties of calmodulins for tobacco NAD kinase but not for GAD.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.228-234
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• 1998

An adaptive measure of photosynthetic cells to a condition identified with a reduction of cellular energy charge, caused by water deficit-induced impairment of photosynthetic ATP production, was investigated using hydroponically cultured rice seedlings. Water stress treatment of the seedlings resulted in a marked decrease in cellular ATP level, a significant increase in the content of NAD(H) and concurrent decrease in that of NADP(H) in shoots, which accompanied a decrease in the activity of NAD kinase (EC 2.7.1.23) that specifically converts NAD(H) to NADP(H). The decline in the enzyme activity was particularly evident in the $Ca^{2+}/calmodulin-dependent$ kinase, the major form of NAD kinase in plants, whereas the level of active calmodulin remained unchanged during water deficit. The ratio of $NADP^+$ to NADPH was maintained nearly constant and no increases were seen in the level of $H_2O_2$ and the activities of $superoxide/H_2O_2-detoxifying$ enzymes in shoots stress-treated for two days. Based on these results, it may be suggested that rice plants take a strategy to cope with an adverse situation of limited photophosphorylation created by water deficit in that cells facilitate ATP production through glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation; in doing so, rice cells suppress NAD kinase activity, consequently up-sizing the NAD(H) pool at the expense of the NADP(H) pool. Several parameters associated with the stress symptoms are also of implicative that there is no overproduction of superoxide radical or the related active oxygen at least in rice seedlings.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.158-168
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• 1993

For the conversion of WAD to NADP, Immobilized Brevibacterium ammoniagenes cells with NAD kinase was coupled with ATP-generating system by acetate kinase. The membrane permeability of B. ammoniagenes was improved by toluene treatment of cells. The toluene treated B. ammoniagenes cells were immobilized for stable enzyme activity. Partially purified acetate kinase was used in the reaction system. The optimum conditions for the efficient conversion of UAD to WADP by energy-coupled system were investigated. B. ammoniagenes cells treated with toluene for the Improvement of membrane permeability showed 4.5 fold improved permeability in the conversion of NAD to NADP compared with Intact cells. 3% k-carrageenan as the immobilization matrix of B. ammoniagenes showed the best efficiency for the conversion of NAD to NADP The optimum conditions for the WAR to WARP conversion reaction coupled nth ATP-generating system were 10mM acetylphosphate, 5mM ADP 200mM inorganic phosphate, 10mM MgCl2, 250mg/ml Immobilized cells, 49.3mUnit/ml acetate kinase, pH 7.5 and 37$^{\circ}C$. Under the optimum conditions, 72% of 5mM(340mg/ml ) NAD was converted to UADP In 12 hours.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2007

To elucidate a potential molecular link between diabetes and atherosclerosis, we investigated the role of Janus tyrosine kinase(JAK) for NAD(P)H oxidase-derived superoxide generation in the enhanced proliferative capacity of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMC) of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty(OLETF) rat, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. An enhanced proliferative response to 10% fetal bovine serum(FBS) and superoxide generation with an increased NAD(P)H oxidase activity were observed in diabetic(OLETF) VSMC. Both the enhanced proliferation and superoxide generation in diabetic VSMC were significantly attenuated by AG490, JAK2 inhibitor, and PP2, Src kinase inhibitor. Tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in diabetic VSMC, especially JAK2, was increased compared to control VSMC. Furthermore, the enhanced NAD(P)H oxidase activity in diabetic VSMC was significantly attenuated by AG490 in a dose-dependent manner. Together, these results indicate that the signal pathway which leads to diabetes-associated activation of Src kinase/JAK is critically involved in the diabetic VSMC proliferation through NAD(P)H oxidase activation and superoxide generation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2011

To understand the roles of purinergic receptors and cellular molecules below the receptors in the vascular inflammatory response, we determined if extracellular nucleotides up-regulated chemokine expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Human aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs) abundantly express $PSY_1$, $PSY_6$, and $PSY_{11}$ receptors, which all respond to extracellular nucleotides. Exposure of human AoSMCs to $NAD^+$, an agonist of the human $PSY_{11}$ receptor, and $NADP^+$ as well as ATP, an agonist for $PSY_1$ and $PSY_{11}$ receptors, caused increase in chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 gene (CCL2) transcript and CCL2 release; however, UPT did not affect CCL2 expression. CCL2 release by $NAD^+$ and $NADP^+$ was inhibited by a concentration dependent manner by suramin, an antagonist of P2-purinergic receptors. $NAD^+$ and $NADP^+$ activated protein kinase C and enhanced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and Akt. $NAD^+$- and $NADP^+$-mediated CCL2 release was significantly attenuated by SP6001250, U0126, LY294002, Akt inhibitor IV, RO318220, GF109203X, and diphenyleneiodium chloride. These results indicate that extracellular nucleotides can promote the proinflammatory VSMC phenotype by up-regulating CCL2 expression, and that multiple cellular elements, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt, protein kinase C, and mitogen-activated protein kinases, are involved in that process.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.63-69
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• 2000

No Abstract.See Full-text

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.143-143
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• 2022

Plant defense systems against pathogens have been studied extensively and are currently a hot topic in plant science. Using a reverse genetics technique, this study looked into the involvement of the NO-downregulated NAD(P)-binding Rossmann-fold superfamily gene in plant growth and defense in Arabidopsis thaliana. For this purpose, the knockout and overexpressing plant of the candidate gene along with the relevant controls were exposed to control, oxidative and nitro-oxidative stresses. The results showed that candidate gene negatively regulates plants' root and shoot lengths. To investigate the role of the candidate gene in plant basal defense, R-gene-mediated resistance and systemic acquired resistance (SAR) plants were challenged with virulent or avirulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato (Psf) DC3000. The results showed that the candidate gene negatively regulates plants' basal defense, R-gene-mediated resistance and SAR. Further characterization via GO analysis associated the candidate gene with metabolic and cellular processes and response to light stimulus, nucleotide binding and cellular location in the cytosol and nucleus. Protein structure analysis indicated the presence of a canonical Oxidoreductase family NAD (P)-binding Rossmann fold domain of 120 amino acids with a total of 121 plant homologs across 35 different plant species in the clad streptophyta. Arabidopsis eFP browser showed its expression in almost all the above-ground parts. Protein analysis indicated C225 and C359 as potential targets for S-Nitrosylation by NO. SMART analysis indicated possible interactions with mevalonate/galactokinase, galacturonic acid kinase, arabinose kinase, putative xylulose kinase, GroES-like zinc-binding alcohol dehydrogenase and various glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2016

Resveratrol, a phytoalexin, is reported to activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in vascular cells. The blood-brain barrier (BBB), formed by specialized brain endothelial cells that are interconnected by tight junctions, strictly regulates paracellular permeability to maintain an optimal extracellular environment for brain homeostasis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of resveratrol and the role of AMPK in BBB dysfunction induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Exposure of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) to LPS ($1{\mu}g/ml$) for 4 to 24 hours week dramatically increased the permeability of the BBB in parallel with lowered expression levels of occluding and claudin-5, which are essential to maintain tight junctions in HBMECs. In addition, LPS significantly increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) productions. All effects induced by LPS in HBVMCs were reversed by adenoviral overexpression of superoxide dismutase, inhibition of NAD(P) H oxidase by apocynin or gain-function of AMPK by adenoviral overexpression of constitutively active mutant (AMPK-CA) or by resveratrol. Finally, upregulation of AMPK by either AMPK-CA or resveratrol abolished the levels of LPS-enhanced NAD(P)H oxidase subunits protein expressions. We conclude that AMPK activation by resveratrol improves the integrity of the BBB disrupted by LPS through suppressing the induction of NAD(P)H oxidase-derived ROS in HBMECs.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.341-349
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• 2020

Background: The replicative senescence of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) is accompanied by growth arrest. In our previous study, the treatment of senescent HDFs with Rg3(S) lowered the intrinsic reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and reversed cellular senescence by inducing peroxiredoxin-3, an antioxidant enzyme. However, the signaling pathways involved in Rg3(S)-induced senescence reversal in HDFs and the relatedness of the stereoisomer Rg3(R) in corresponding signaling pathways are not known yet. Methods: We performed senescence-associated β-galactosidase and cell cycle assays in Rg3(S)-treated senescent HDFs. The levels of ROS, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as well as the mitochondrial DNA copy number, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)⁺/1,4-dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) ratio, and NAD-dependent sirtuins expression were measured and compared among young, old, and Rg3(S)-pretreated old HDFs. Major signaling pathways of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and sirtuin 1/3, including cell cycle regulatory proteins, were examined by immunoblot analysis. Results: Ginsenoside Rg3(S) reversed the replicative senescence of HDFs by restoring the ATP level and NAD⁺/NADH ratio in downregulated senescent HDFs. Rg3(S) recovered directly the cellular levels of ROS and the NAD⁺/NADH ratio in young HDFs inactivated by rotenone. Rg3(S) mainly downregulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt through the inhibition of mTOR by cell cycle regulators like p53/p21 in senescent HDFs, whereas Rg3(R) did not alter the corresponding signaling pathways. Rg3(S)-activated sirtuin 3/PGC1α to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis. Conclusion: Cellular molecular analysis suggests that Rg3(S) specifically reverses the replicative senescence of HDFs by modulating Akt-mTOR-sirtuin signaling to promote the biogenesis of mitochondria.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.243-250
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• 2008

A calmodulin-dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) sandwich fusion protein was generated by insertion of calmodulin into the $\beta$-bulge region of DHFR to observe the effects of structurally constraining the calmodulin structure. The calcium binding properties of the sandwich protein were almost identical to calmodulin. Similar to calmodulin ($10.7 {\mu}M$), the sandwich protein bound four equivalents of calcium, with half saturation ($K_{0.5}$) observed at a [$Ca^{2+}$] of $8{\mu}M$. However, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) kinase activation property of the sandwich protein was lower than that of calmodulin. The sandwich protein activated NAD kinase, but to only half of the level obtained with calmodulin. The K 0.5 for both calmodulin and the sandwich protein were approximately the same (1-2 nM). Methylation analyses of the sandwich protein show that insertion of calmodulin into DHFR results in a large decrease in methylation. The $V_{max}$ observed with the sandwich protein (95 nmole/min/ml) was only 22% of the value observed with calmodulin (436 nmol/min/ml) in the presence of calcium. Addition of trimethoprim to the reaction significantly inhibited the observed methylation rate. Overall, the data suggest that the insertion of calmodulin into the DHFR structure has little effect on calcium binding by the individual lobes of calmodulin, but may constrain the lobes in a manner that results in altered interaction with the calmodulin-dependent proteins, and severely perturbed the methyltransferase recognition site.