• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.170-172
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• 2013

The pyrimidine nucleoside uridine has recently been reported to have a protective effect on cultured human corneal epithelial cells, in an animal model of dry eye and in patients. In this study, we investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of uridine in rabbits, following topical ocular (8 mg/eye), oral (450 mg/kg) and intravenous (100 mg/kg) administration. Blood and urine samples were serially taken, and uridine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. No symptoms were noted in the animals after uridine treatment. Uridine was not detected in either plasma or urine after topical ocular administration, indicating no systemic exposure to uridine with this treatment route. Following a single intravenous dose, the plasma concentration of uridine showed a bi-exponential decay, with a rapid decline over 10 min, followed by a slow decay with a terminal half-life of $0.36{\pm}0.05$ h. Clearance and volume of distribution were $1.8{\pm}0.6$ L/h/kg and $0.58{\pm}0.32$ L/kg, respectively. The area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) was $59.7{\pm}18.2{\mu}g{\cdot}hr/ml$, and urinary excretion up to 12 hr was ~7.7% of the dose. Plasma uridine reached a peak of $25.8{\pm}4.1{\mu}g/ml$ at $2.3{\pm}0.8$ hr after oral administration. The AUC was $79.0{\pm}13.9{\mu}g{\cdot}hr/ml$, representing ~29.4% of absolute bioavailability. About 1% of the oral dose was excreted in the urine. These results should prove useful in the design of future clinical and nonclinical studies conducted with uridine.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2007

Background: Mizoribine (MZR) is an imidazole nucleoside isolated from Eupenicillium brefeldianum. MZR is currendy in clinical use for patients who have undergone renal transplantation. Therapeutic efficacy of MZR has also been demonstrated in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus nephritis. MZR has been shown to inhibit the proliferation or lymphocytes by interfering with inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase. Since the exact mechanism by which MZR benefits rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not clear, we investigated the ability of MZR to direct its immunosuppressive influences on other antigen presenting cells, such as macrophages. Methods: Mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide in the presence of MZR. To elucidate the mechanism of the therapeutic efficacy in chronic inflammatory diseases, we examined the effects of MZR on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ in macrophages. Results: MZR dose-dependendy decreased the production of nitric oxide and pro- inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukins $1{\beta}$ (IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 $PGE_2$. Examination of gene expression levels showed that the anti-inflammatory effect correlated with the down-regulation of inducible nitiric oxide synthase expression, cycloxygenase-2 expression and TNF-${\alpha}$ gene expression. Conclusion: In this work, we resulted whether MZR $(1.25{\sim}10{\mu}g/ml)$ inhibited macrophage activation by inhibiting secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, NO and $PGE_2$. These findings provide an explanation for the therapeutic efficacy of MZR in chronic inflammation-associated diseases.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.986-990
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• 2006

As key nucleoside intermediates for the preparation of cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR, 1) analogues, 8-alkyl-2' (or 3')-azido(or amino)-adenosine derivatives (16-19) were successfully prepared by alkylating selectively protected adenosine derivatives (12, 13) via Pd(0) catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with tetraalkyltin reagents, followed by the sugar modification of these 8-alkyl-adenosine derivatives according to our precedent procedure. Compared to other precedent procedures, our 8-alkylation methodology using selectively TBDMS-protected 8-alkyl adenosine derivatives as starting materials will be utilized very conveniently to prepare highly functionalized adenosine analogues, which will be serve as key intermediates for the cADPR.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.2649-2654
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• 2014

Synthesis of north-5'-methylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl adenine and hypoxanthine nucleosides with an ethenyl group at C3' position was successfully achieved by a highly facile method. Methylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexanone (${\pm}$)-7 with three contiguous chiral centers and its epimer (${\pm}$)-6 was remarkably simply constructed only by four steps involving a carbenoid insertion reaction in the presence of rhodium (II) acetate dimer as a metal catalyst, giving a correct relative stereochemistry of the generated three chiral centers. Due to steric hindrance from the concave face of the bicyclo[3.1.0]hexanone system, a Grignard reaction of (${\pm}$)-7 with ethenylmagnesium bromide showed exclusive diastereoselectivity towards the b-face. The Grignard reaction chemoselectively proceeded without reacting with ester functionality. Coupling reaction of glycosyl donor (${\pm}$)-11 with 6-chloropurine nucleobase afforded only the desired $N^9$-alkylated nucleoside without the formation of $N^7$-regioisomer. By the conventional method, 6-chloro group was converted into 6-amino and 6-hydroxy groups to give the desired adenine and hypoxanthine bicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl carbanucleosides with 3'-ethenyl group, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.743-752
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• 1998

The atrial acetylcholine-activated $K^+\;(K_{ACh})$ channel is gated by the pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibitory G $(G_K)$ protein. Earlier studies revealed that ATP alone can activate the $K_{ACh}$ channel via transphosphorylation mediated by nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDPK) in atrial cells of rabbit and guinea pig. This channel can be activated by various agonists and also modulated its function by phosphorylation. ATP-induced $K_{ACh}$ channel activation (AIKA) was maintained in the presence of the NDPK inhibitor, suggesting the existence of a mechanism other than NDPK-mediated process. Here we hypothesized the phosphorylation process as another mechanism underlying AIKA and was undertaken to examine what kinase is involved in atrial cells isolated from the rat heart. Single application of 1 mM ATP gradually increased the activity of $K_{ACh}$ channels and reached its maximum $40{\sim}50$ sec later following adding ATP. AIKA was not completely reduced but maintained by half even in the presence of NDPK inhibitor. Neither ADP nor a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP can cause AIKA, while a non-specific phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase blocked completely AIKA. PKC antagonists such as sphingosine or tamoxifen, completely blocked AIKA, whereas PKC catalytic domain increased AIKA. Taken together, it is suggested that the PKC-mediated phosphorylation is partly involved in AIKA.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2011

Chemical investigations of the stony coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi (Poritidae) resulted in the isolation of four known compounds (1 - 4). The structures of 1 - 4 were identified as a sterol, ergosta-5,24(28)-dien-$3{\beta}$-ol (1), a mixture of monoacyl glycrols (2), eicosanoic acid and tetracosanoic acid, and two nucleosides, thymine (3) and 2'-deoxythymidine (4), respectively, on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses including 1D- and 2D- NMR techniques as well as by comparison of their data with the published values. Compounds 1 - 4 were isolated from this species for the first time. Moreover, these compounds (1 - 4) were found in the genus Alveopora and the family Poritidae for the first time.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2003

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (TK) has been widely used for suicidal gene therapy in combination with nucleoside analogs such as ganciclovir (GCV). The use of HSV-TK is limited due to the side effect of GCV at high concentrations. Previous studies showed that stable transfectants of mutant HSV-TK with enhanced affinity to GCV were killed at lower GCV concentrations. In this study, we tested whether mutant HSV-TK can provide enhanced suicidal effect when transiently transfected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based plasmid. EBV-based plasmid which contains OriP and EBNA-1 sequence is well known for a stable episomal maintenance in human cells. Optimal transfection condition was assessed for SNU-638 gastric cancer cell line using polyetylnimine (PEI). Maximum transfection efficiency was achieved when DNA:PEI was 1:3 (w/v). Cytotoxicities of mutant and wild type HSV-TK were compared before and after partially selecting transfected cells. The cells were sensitive to $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ hygromycin. Following GCV treatment, more cells were killed after hygromycin selection than before selection. The mutant HSV-TK showed enhanced cytotoxicity compared with the wild type HSV-TK. Our results suggest that the EBV-based plasmid encoding mutant HSV-TK may be useful to treat the diseases caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1027-1031
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• 2010

To examine the possibility of horizontal gene transfer between transgenic potatoes and microorganisms in potato fields, the gene flow from transgenic potatoes containing the nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NDPK2) gene to microorganisms in soils was investigated. The soil samples collected from the potato fields from March to October 2007 were examined by PCR, Southern hybridization, and AFLP fingerprinting. The NDPK2 gene from soil genomic DNAs was not detected by both PCR and Southern hybridization, indicating that gene transfer did not occur in the potato fields. In addition, no discrepancy was found in pathogenicity and noticeable changes for the appearance of variants of Phytophthora infestans in each generation when serial inoculations and the analysis of genomic DNAs by AFLP were conducted. Thus, these data suggest that transgenic potatoes do not give significant impacts on the communities of soil microorganisms and the emergence of variants, although continued research efforts may be necessary to make a decisive conclusion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.483-489
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• 2004

Pseudomonas sp. S-47 is a bacterium capable of degrading benzoate as well as 4-chlorobenzoate (4CBA). Benzoate and 4CBA are known to be degraded via a meta-cleavage pathway characterized by a series of enzymes encoded by xyl genes. The meta-cleavage pathway operon in Pseudomonas sp. S-47 encodes a set of enzymes which transform benzoate and 4CBA into TCA cycle intermediates via the meta-cleavage of (4-chloro )catechol to produce pyruvate and acetyl-CoA. In the current study, the meta-pathway gene cluster was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of S-47 strain to obtain pCS1, which included the degradation activities for 4CBA and catechol. The genetic organization of the operon was then examined by cloning the meta-pathway genes into a pBluescript SKII(+) vector. As such, the meta-pathway operon from Pseudomonas sp. S-47 was found to contain 13 genes in the order of xylXYZLTEGFlQKIH. The two regulatory genes, xylS and xylR, that control the expression of the meta-pathway operon, were located adjacently downstream of the meta-pathway operon. The xyl genes from strain S-47 exhibited a high nucleoside sequence homology to those from Pseudomonas putida mt-2, except for the xylJQK genes, which were more homologous to the corresponding three genes from P. stutzeri AN10. One open reading frame was found between the xylH and xylS genes, which may playa role of a transposase. Accordingly, the current results suggest that the xyl gene cluster in Pseudomonas sp. S-47 responsible for the complete degradation of benzoate was recombined with the corresponding genes from P. putida mt-2 and P. stutzeri AN10.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2016

Sepiapterin, a precursor for tetrahydrobiopterin, is produced in higher mammals using guanosine triphosphate (GTP) as a biosynthetic intermediate. Four genes involved in GTP biosynthesis, namely those of guanosine monophosphate kinase (gmk), nucleoside diphosphate kinase (ndk), guanosine phosphate synthetase (guaA), and inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (guaB), were expressed in sepiapterin-producing recombinant Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) to increase intracellular GTP concentration and to improve sepiapterin production concomitantly. Coexpression of gmk, ndk, guaA, and guaB, doubled the intracellular GTP concentration and increased the maximum sepiapterin concentration up to $126.1{\pm}19.3mg/l$ (an increase of 43% compared with control cells) in batch-cultivated recombinant E. coli.