• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2010

The tremendous changes of uterine endometrium are observed during early pregnancy and protease and their inhibitors are involved in regulation of cell proliferation and remodeling of the tissues through remodeling the extracellular matrix (ECM). Some of the proteases and protease inhibitors have been suspected to a factor in endometrial changes but many parts of their expression profiles and the physiological roles are not uncovered. To evaluate the functional roles of them, in this study the expression profiles of proteases and protease inhibitors were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Mmp9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9) mRNA levels peaked on day 4 at the time of implantation. On the other hand, Ela2 (neutrophil elastase, NE) mRNA levels were peaked on day 2 of pregnancy. Its expression were decreased until day 4 of pregnancy but increased rapidly until day 7 of pregnancy and decreased again. NE inhibitor Slpi (secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, SLPI) mRNA levels were related with the implantation stage and with the levels of Ela2. At the time of implantation the expression levels of Slpi mRNA were about 5 times higher than the Ela2 mRNA in the uterus. In the implantation stage embryos, Mmp9 specific mRNA was only detected at the blastocyst. On the other hand, the expression level of SLPI was higher than that of the Ela2 mRNA at blastocyst and 4.5 day p.c. embryos. Based on these results it is suggested that MMP9, SLPI, and NE have important physiological role in embryo implantation both in uterus and embryos.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.2213-2218
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• 2012

Efficient synthetic routes were developed to prepare a sizable amount (4-15 grams) of the chiral epoxides 4-6 as versatile intermediates for the synthesis of aspartyl protease inhibitors of therapeutic interest such as HIV protease and ${\beta}$-secretase. Oxidative cleavage of the C(2)-C(3) double bond of L-ascorbic acid followed by functional group manipulation led to the preparation of the epoxide 10, which was opened with an azide to yield a common aziridine intermediate 12. Through opening of the aziridine ring of 12 with either a carbon or a sulfur nucleophile, chiral epoxide precursors 4-6 could be prepared for various HIV protease inhibitors. Except for the final low melting epoxides 5 and 6, all intermediates were obtained as crystalline solids, thus the synthetic pathway can be easily applied to a large-scale synthesis of the chiral epoxides.

• Proceeding of EDISON Challenge
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• 2016.03a
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• pp.86-89
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• 2016

The Zika virus, which is a member of the flavivirus genus, poses a serious threat to humanity because there is no vaccine or cure. Zika is suspected to cause microcephaly, and it is rapidly spreading throughout parts of Brazil. Surprisingly, there are no known protein structures for the virus which are essential for drug and vaccine development. This paper investigates the Zika virus's nonstructural proteins with template-based modeling by using GalaxyTBM/Refine/SC. GalaxyDock was used to examine the effectiveness of various known serine protease inhibitors in inhibiting the Zika viral protease. In testing five inhibitors, Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor showed the strongest binding affinity (-10.082 kcal/mol). This paper provides a rudimentary foundation for further drug discovery research regarding the Zika virus.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2005

Protease inhibitors were purified from the eggs of Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) using the following purification steps: ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange, gel permeation, and high performance liquid chromatographies (HPLC). The protease inhibitor from the heated eggs of Alaska pollock was not as well purified. In addition, the heated eggs showed lower specific inhibitory activity than the unheated eggs. The purification yields after ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange, and gel permeation chromatographies were 22.7$\%,\;15.3\%$,and $4.4\%$, respectively. There were two kinds of protease inhibitors on the gel permeation chromatography pattern Their molecular weights were estimated to be 66,700 and 16,000 Da, respectively. Both were classified as a cysteine protease inhibitor because of the existence of inhibiting papain, which is one of cysteine proteases.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.189-196
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• 2003

In order to evaluate the possible roles of secretory proteases in the pathogenesis of amoebic keratitis, we purified and characterized a serine protease secreted by Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/E2, isolated from a Korean keratitis patient The ammonium sulfate-precipitated culture supernatant of the isolate was purified by sequential chromatography on CM-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-200, and mono Q-anion exchange column. The purified 33 kDa protease had a pH optimum of 8.5 and a temperature optimum of $55^{\circ}C$. Phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride and 4-(2-Aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl-fluoride, both serine protease specific inhibitors, inhibited almost completely the activity of the 33 kDa protease whereas other classes of inhibitors did not affect its activity. The 33 kDa enzyme degraded various extracellular matrix proteins and serum proteins. Our results strongly suggest that the 33 kDa serine protease secreted from this keratopathogenic Acanthamoeba play important roles in the pathogenesis of amoebic keratitis, such as in corneal tissue invasion, immune evasion and nutrient uptake.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.167-173
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• 2023

Proteolytic enzymes secreted by Aspergillus, as pathogenicity factors, affect blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, and therefore the target proteins of their action in the bloodstream are of significant interest. In the present study, the action of the isolated protease of A. terreus 2 on different human plasma proteins was shown. The protease of A. terreus 2 exhibited the highest proteolytic activity against hemoglobin, which was 2.5 times higher than the albuminolytic activity shown in both of the protein substrates used. In addition, the protease has significant ability to hydrolyze both fibrin and fibrinogen. However, the inability of the A. terreus 2 protease to coagulate rabbit blood plasma and coagulate human and bovine fibrinogen indicates the severity of the enzyme's action on human blood coagulation factors. It should be considered as a potential indicator of this isolated protease's participation in fungal pathogenesis. The protease shows no hemolytic activity. Furthermore, its activity is insignificantly inhibited by thrombin inhibitors, and is not inhibited by plasmin inhibitors.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.47.1-47
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• 2001

One of the problems associated with in vitro culture of primordial gern cells (PGCs) is the large loss of cells during the initial period of culture. This study characterized the initial loss and determined the effectiveness of two classes of apoptosis inhibitors, protease inhibitors and antioxidants, on the ability of the porcine PGCs to survive in culture. Results from electron microscopic analysis and in situ DNA fragmentation assay indicated that porcine PGCs rapidly undergo apoptosis when placed in culture. Additionally, \ulcorner2-macroglobulin, a protease inhibitor and cytokine carrier, and N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, increased the survival of PGCs in vitro. While other protease inhibitors tested did not affect survival of PGCs, all antioxidants tested improved survival of PGCs (p<0.05). Further results indicated that the beneficial effect of the antioxidants was critical only during the initial period of culture. Finally, it was determined that in short-term culture, in the absence of feeder layer, antioxidants could partially replace the effect(s) of growth factors and reduce apoptosis. Collectively, these results indicate that the addition of \ulcorner2-macroglobulin and antioxidatns can increase the number of PGCs in vitro by suppressing apoptosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.4 s.136
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• pp.157-160
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• 2005

A 29kDa cysteine protease of Taenia solium metacestodes was purified by Mono Q anion-exchanger and Superose 6 HR gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme was effectively inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitors, such as iodoacetic acid (IAA) and trans-epoxy-succinyl-L-leucyl-amido (4-guanidino) butane (E-64) while inhibitors acting on serine- or metallo-proteases did not affect the enzyme activity. The purified enzyme degraded human immunoglobulin G (IgG), collagen and bovine serum albumin (BSA), but human IgG was more susceptible for proteolysis by the enzyme. To define the precise biological roles of the enzyme, more detailed biochemical and functional studies would be required.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2010

For the discovery of new antivirals against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV), we prepared and evaluated several benzoquinoline compounds as its 3C-like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Based on the computer modeling study that each of the two rigid benzoquinolinone and N-phenoltetrazole moieties of the compound 1 is bound to the S1 and S2 sites, respectively, of the SARS protease by forming H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions, we designed and synthesized alkylated benzoquinolines at both the sites of the hydroxyl groups. We found that the compound 2a showed five times higher inhibiting activity against the 3CLpro compared to the compound 1.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.117-120
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• 2014

Several studies have reported that the citrus red mites Panonychus citri were an important allergen of citrus-cultivating farmers in Jeju Island. The aim of the present study was to purify and assess properties of a cysteine protease from the mites acting as a potentially pathogenic factor to citrus-cultivating farmers. A cysteine protease was purified using column chromatography of Mono Q anion exchanger and Superdex 200 HR gel filtration. It was estimated to be 46 kDa by gel filtration column chromatography and consisted of 2 polypeptides, at least. Cysteine protease inhibitors, such as trans poxy-succinyl-L-leucyl-amido (4-guanidino) butane (E-64) and iodoacetic acid (IAA) totally inhibited the enzyme activities, whereas serine or metalloprotease inhibitors did not affect the activities. In addition, the purified enzyme degraded human IgG, collagen, and fibronectin, but not egg albumin. From these results, the cysteine protease of the mites might be involved in the pathogenesis such as tissue destruction and penetration instead of nutrient digestion.