• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.536-541
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• 1998

The cDNA clone encoding the antibacterial peptide (SL-1) was isolated from the fat body of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, immunized with E. coli K12. The primary structure analysis revealed that its deduced amino acid sequence showed the characteristics of the cecropin family antibacterial peptides and that the amino acid residues highly conserved in the antibacterial peptides from moths and flies were also conserved, implying that SL-1 was a cecropin-like, and especially cecropin B-like, peptide. The predicted secondary structure of the mature SL-1 consists of three domains: (i) an amphiphilic ${\alpha}$-helical domain (Ile-4 to Gly-18); (ii) the hinge region (Gly-23 and Pro-24); and (iii) a hydrophobic domain (Ala-25 to IIe-38).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.300-303
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• 1985

To understand the nature of the linkage between chromophore and apoprotein in the photoreceptor of Stentor coeruleus, a conformational analysis has been carried out on the dipeptide amides linked to the chromophore hypericin using an empirical potential function. The conformational energies for the dipeptide amides of Glu (OHyp)-X-NHMe, where X = Leu, Phe, Asp, and Tyr, have been calculated to investigate the influence of peptide residues in stabilizing conformers. It was found that the increase of acidity of hypericin upon photoexcitation may be facilitated by the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds between hydroxyl groups of hypericin and carbonyl groups of peptide backbone, and that the stabilities of dipeptide amides do not significantly depend on peptide residues directly linked to chromophore.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.263-266
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• 2003

This research investigated the process of removing cadmium and tested the detoxification mechanism of the cadmium-binding peptide (Cd-BP) from Rumex crispus. Phytochelatin-like cadmium-binding peptide (PC-Cd-BP) of Rumex crispus was purified and identified. Rumex crispus was exposed to 4.3 mg Cd/L for seven days. Heat-treated supernatant fraction taken by root tissues showed traces of PC-Cd-BP An analysis of the material through Gel-filteration chromatography on the Sephadex G-75 column showed two symmetrical Cd-BP peaks. The major peak with the smaller molecular weight was further purified by $C_{18}$ reverse-phase HPLC to produce apparent homogeneity. The amino acid composition of Cd-BP from Rumex crispus included cysteine (22.6%), glutamate and glutamate acid (20%), and glycine (12%). It was similar the amino acid composition of most PC. The molecular weight of the purified peptide was determined at 568-706 Da by MALDI-TOF MS. Therefore, the Cd-BP of Rumex crispus was PC-Cd-BP consisting of isopeptides.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1629-1633
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• 2015

Peptide assimilation in Helicobacter pylori necessitates a coordinated working of the peptide transport systems (PepTs) and aminopeptidase (PepA). We found that H. pylori hydrolyzes two detector peptides, _L-phenylalanyl- _L-3-thiaphenylalanine (PSP) and _L-phenylalanyl- _L-2-sulfanilylglycine (PSG), primarily before intake and excludes their antibacterial effects, whereas Escherichia coli readily transports them with resultant growth inhibition. PSP assimilation by H. pylori was inhibited by aminopeptidase inhibitor bestatin, but not by dialanine or cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone, contrary to that of E. coli. RT- and qRT-PCR analyses showed that H. pylori may express first the PepTs (e.g., DppA and DppB) and then PepA. In addition, western blot analysis of PepA suggested that the bacterium secretes PepA in response to specific inducers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.479-483
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• 2012

The secretory efficiency of recombinant xylanase xynB from yeast Pichia pastoris between the ${\alpha}$-factor preprosequence and a classical mammalian signal peptide derived from bovine ${\beta}$-casein was compared. The results showed that although the bovine ${\beta}$-casein signal peptide could direct high-level secretion of recombinant xylanase, it was relatively less efficient than the ${\alpha}$-factor preprosequence. In contrast, the bovine ${\beta}$-casein signal peptide caused remarkably more recombinant xylanase trapped intracellularly. Real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that the difference in the secretory level between the two signal sequences was not due to the difference in the transcriptional efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.110-111
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• 2013

FcBP consisting of 13 amino acids specifically binds to Immunoglobulin G Fc domain. Initially, we utilized this peptide for preparation of antibody chip as a PEG composite for enhanced solubility. After then, the peptide conjugate was immobilized on agarose resin, resulting in highly efficient affinity column for antibody purification. The efficiency was comparable to commercial Protein A column. Recently, this peptide was conjugated with cell penetrating peptide (CPP) on a backbone of GFP, affording antibody transducer, which carries antibody into live cells by simple mixing of antibody and the transducer in cell culture media. Antibody transduction into cells was monitored by live cell imaging. More recently, the FcBP was fused to ferritin cage, which consists of 24 ferritin protein molecules. The FcBP-ferritin cage showed greatly increased binding affinity to human IgG. Its binding was analyzed by QCM and SPR analysis. Finally, it was selectively delivered by Herceptin to SKBR3, a breast cancer cell, over MCF10A, non-tumorigenic cells (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Fluorescent microscopic images of SKBR3 breast cancer cells (A~C) and MCF10A breast cells (D~F) treated with Cy3-trastuzumab/fFcBP-Pf_Fn complexes. Trastuzumab and FcBP-Pf_Fn, which were labeled with Cy3 (Cy3-trastuzumab) and fluorescein (fFcBP-Pf_Fn), respectively, selectively targeted SKBR3 over MCF10A.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.473-477
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• 2009

Previously, the 9-mer analog peptides, 9Pbw2 and 9Pbw4, were designed based on a defensin-like peptide, protaetiamycine isolated from Protaetia brevitarsis. In this study, antifungal effects of the analog peptides were investigated. The antifungal susceptibility testing exhibited that 9Pbw4 contained more potent antifungal activities than 9Pbw2. A PI influx assay confirmed the effects of the analog peptides and demonstrated that the peptides exerted their activity by a membrane-active mechanism, in an energy-independent manner. As the noteworthy potency of 9Pbw4, the mechanism(s) of 9Pbw4 were further investigated. The membrane studies, using rhodamine-labeled giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran loaded liposome, suggested that the membrane-active mechanism of 9Pbw4 could have originated from the pore-forming action and the radii of pores was presumed to be anywhere from 1.8 nm to 3.3 nm. These results were confirmed by 3D-flow cytometric contour-plot analysis. The present study suggests a potential of 9Pbw4 as a novel antifungal peptide.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.95-99
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• 2004

Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides in particular base contexts are known to induce immunity in vertebrate cells. In insect, however, it was recent to find out that ODNs induces insect immunity as other immune inducer such as lipopolysaccharide. However, the finding was solely based on one lepidopteran insect, Bombyx mori, and the expression of insect immunity was neither dependent on numbers of CpG repeats nor methylation of CpG repeats within ODNs. Instead, foreignness of DNA has been suggested to be a key factor governing induction of antibacterial peptide. In this study, we expanded our previous understanding to the potentiality of ODNs as an immune inducer for antifungal peptide in Galleria mellonella and B. mori. To do this, a defensin-type antifungal peptide gene, reported from G. mellonella was cloned and partially sequenced from G. mellonella and B. mori successfully and utilized as a probe in the Northern blot analysis. We found out that ODNs also work as an immune inducer for antifungal peptide in the fat body and midgut of G. mellonella and B. mori larvae. Also, induction pattern of antifungal peptide was irrelevant to the numbers of CpG repeats within ODNs as previously reported on the induction pattern of antibacterial peptides.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.1 s.56
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• pp.65-71
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• 2007

유산균(Lactic acid bacteria)은 Escherichia coli와 Salmonella typhimurium과 같은 병원균에 대한 항균활성을 나타낼 뿐만 아니라 면역 증강효과를 나타내는 등 인체내에서 건강에 이로운 다양한 역할을 수행하는 것으로 알려졌다. 특히, Pediococcus pentosaseus와 몇몇 Lactobacillus 종으로부터 분리한 항균활성을 나타내는 peptide들인 safelac과 lactopad는 몇몇 암세포주의 성장을 억제하는 것으로 나타났다. 이에, 본 연구에서는 HT-29, SW 480 및 Caco-2와 같은 3종류의 인간의 결장암 세포주에 safelac과 lactopad를 투여하여 이들이 항암효과를 나타낼 수 있는 지를 분석하고자 하였다. XTT assay는 safelaf과 lactopad가 HT-29, SW 480 및 Caco-2의 성장을 억제하는 것으로 나타났으며, 특히, 이들 peptide들을 72시간동안 처리했을 때 나타나는 항암효과는 $3.1{\sim}100mg/mL$의 농도범위에서 유의한 결과를 나타내었으며, 분석한 농도 범위에서 용량 의존적인 방식으로 더 강한 효과를 나타내었다. RAW 264.7 세포주는 cytokine인 tumor-necrosis factor(TNF-${\alpha}$)의 생성에 미치는 이들 peptide들의 효과를 조사하기 위한 대식세포의 모델로써 이용되었다. RAW 264.7 세포주에서 TNF-${\alpha}$의 생성은 이들 peptide들에 의해 48시간 배양시 용량에 의존적인 방식으로 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서, 이러한 발견은 safelac과 lactopad와 같은 유산균으로부터 분리한 항균 peptide들이 결장암 세포에 대한 화학적 예방제로서의 잠재성을 갖고 있음을 시사하는 결과로서 주목된다.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.501-506
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• 2015

Based on the potential beneficial effects of growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP)-6 on muscle functions, a newly synthesized GHRP-6-biotin conjugate was tested on cultured myoblast cells. Increased expression of myogenic marker proteins was observed in GHRP-6-biotin conjugate-treated cells. Additionally, increased expression levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and collagen type I were observed. Furthermore, GHRP-6-biotin conjugate-treated cells showed increased metabolic activity, as indicated by increased concentrations of energy metabolites, such as ATP and lactate, and increased enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. Finally, binding protein analysis suggested few candidate proteins, including desmin, actin, and zinc finger protein 691 as potential targets for GHRP6-biotin conjugate action. These results suggest that the newly synthesized GHRP-6-biotin conjugate has myogenic stimulating activity through, at least in part, by stimulating collagen type I synthesis and several key proteins. Practical applications of the GHRP-6-biotin conjugate could include improving muscle condition. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(9): 501-506]