• BMB Reports
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• 제42권9호
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• pp.552-560
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• 2009

Cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) are ER-resident proteins that catalyze the committed step in prostanoid synthesis. COX-1 is constitutively expressed in many mammalian cells, whereas COX-2 is usually expressed inducibly and transiently. Abnormal expression of COX-2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation and various cancers; therefore, it is subject to tight and complex regulation. Differences in regulation of the COX enzymes at the posttranscriptional and posttranslational levels also contribute significantly to their distinct patterns of expression. Rapid degradation of COX-2 mRNA has been attributed to AU-rich elements (AREs) at its 3’UTR. Recently, microRNAs that can selectively repress COX-2 protein synthesis have been identified. The mature forms of these COX proteins are very similar in structure except that COX-2 has a unique 19-amino acid (19-aa) segment located near the C-terminus. This C-terminal 19-aa cassette plays an important role in mediation of the entry of COX-2 into the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) system, which transports ER proteins to the cytoplasm for degradation by the 26S proteasome. A second pathway for COX-2 protein degradation is initiated after the enzyme undergoes suicide inactivation following cyclooxygenase catalysis. Here, we discuss these molecular determinants of COX-2 expression in detail.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.63-66
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• 2008

Anthracene is a PAH that is not readily degraded, plus its degradation mechanism is still not clear. Thus, two strains of anthracene-degrading bacteria were isolated from long-term petroleum-polluted soil and identified as Sphingomonas sp. 12A and Pseudomonas sp. 12B by a 16S rRNA sequence analysis. To further enhance the anthracene-degrading ability of the two strains, the biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa $W_3$ were used, which were characterized as rhamnolipids. It was found that these rhamnolipids dramatically increased the solubility of anthracene, and a reverse-phase HPLC assay showed that the anthracene degradation percentage after 18 days with Pseudomonas sp. 12B was significantly enhanced from 34% to 52%. Interestingly, their effect on the degradation by Sphingomonas sp. 12A was much less, from 35% to 39%. Further study revealed that Sphingomonas sp. 12A also degraded the rhamnolipids, which may have hampered the effect of the rhamnolipids on the anthracene degradation.

• BMB Reports
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.131-135
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• 2009

MicroRNAs control gene expression by inhibiting translation or promoting degradation of their target mRNAs. Since the discovery of the first microRNAs, lin-4 and let-7, in C. elegans, hundreds of microRNAs have been identified as key regulators of cell fate determination, lifespan, and cancer in species ranging from plants to humans. However, while microRNAs have been shown to be particularly abundant in the brain, their role in the development and activity of the nervous system is still largely unknown. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of microRNA function at synapses, the specialized structures required for communication between neurons and their targets. We also propose how these advances might inform the molecular model of memory.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.46-52
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• 2018

다환 방향족 탄화수소(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, PAH) 우수 분해균주인 Novosphingobium pentaromativorans US6-1의 dibenzofuran (DBF) 분해경로를 밝히기 위하여 중간대사물질 분석과 전사체 분석을 진행하였다. GC/MS로 중간대사물질을 분석한 결과, 3(2H)-벤조퓨라논이 검출되었는데 이 화합물은 측면 이산소화에 의해 생성된 중간대사산물들의 기본 골격이 되는 물질로써 균주 US6-1에 의한 DBF의 분해가 측면 이산소화로 진행될 가능성을 시사한다. RNA-Seq 분석 결과, 균주 US6-1이 DBF에 노출되었을 때 발현되는 유전자들의 대부분이 lateral dioxygenation과 관련이 있다는 것을 확인하였다. 이상의 결과로부터N. pentaromativorans US6-1에 의해 일어나는 측면 이산소화를통한 DBF 분해경로와 관련 유전자들을 제시하였다.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.197-204
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• 2015

MicroRNA (miRNA, miR) is essential in regulating cell differentiation either by inhibiting mRNA translation or by inducing its degradation. However, the role of miRNA in odontoblastic cell differentiation is still unclear. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism of miR-27-mediated regulation of odontoblast differentiation in MDPC-23 mouse odontoblastic cells derived from mouse dental papilla cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that the miR-27 expression increases significantly during MDPC-23 odontoblastic cell differentiation. Furthermore, miR-27 up-regulation promotes the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells and accelerates mineralization without cell proliferation. The over-expression of miR-27 significantly increased the expression levels of Wnt1 mRNA and protein. In addition, the results of target gene prediction revealed that Wnt1 mRNA has an miR-27 binding site in its 3'UTR, and is increased by miR-27. These results suggested that miR-27 promotes MDPC-23 odontoblastic cell differentiation by targeting Wnt1 signaling. Therefore, miR-27 is a critical odontoblastic differentiation molecular target for the development of miRNA based therapeutic agents in dental medicine.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.271-276
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• 2008

최근 단백질 합성 과정 중 라이보솜의 일시적인 정지에 의한 라이보솜의 A자리에서 전사체가 분해되는 현상이 여러 생명체에서 보고되었다. 이러한 현상이 라이보솜의 작은 소단위체를 이루고 있는 SSU rRNA의 기능과 관련 있는지를 알아보기 위해, SecM에서 유래한 접착펩타이드에 의한 라이보솜 정지를 우회하는 SSU rRNA 돌연변이체 발굴을 위한 유전학적 시스템을 개발하였다. 이 시스템에서는 SecM에서 유래한 접착펩타이를 포함하는 CAT 단백질을 코딩하는 CAT-SecM 전사체가 플라스미드에서 유래한 SSU rRNA를 포함한 재조합 라이보솜에 의해서만 해독된다. 이러한 재조합 라이보솜은 접착펩타이드를 합성한 후 CAT-SecM mRNA 상에서 일시 정체하며, 재조합 라이보솜의 발현은 이 전사체의 양을 감소시키는 것을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 개발된 시스템을 이용해 라이보솜 검지를 우회하는 SSU rRNA 돌연변이체의 선별이 가능하다는 것을 보여주며, 이러한 변이체에 대한 연구는 단백질 합성 단계에서 일어나는 라이보솜 정지와 전사체 절단 현상에 있어서, SSU rRNA의 역할을 규명하는데 기여할 것이다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권8호
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• pp.389-394
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• 2022

In particular, the phenomenon of c-Jun degradation within the inflammatory response has not yet been fully analyzed. In order to verify this, we investigated LPS-stimulated murine macrophages pre-treated with sodium orthovanadate (SO) in order to uncover the regulatory mechanisms of the MAPKs which regulate c-Jun degradation within the inflammatory response. Through our study, we found that SO suppressed the production of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and the expression of COX-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, SO decreased total c-Jun levels, without altering the amount of mRNA, although the phospho-levels of p38, ERK, and JNK were strongly enhanced. Through the usage of selective MAPK inhibitors, and knockdown and overexpression strategies, p38 was revealed to be a major MAPK which regulates c-Jun degradation. Further analysis indicates that the phosphorylation of p38 is a determinant for c-Jun degradation, and is sufficient to induce ubiquitination-dependent c-Jun degradation, recovered through MG132 treatment. Therefore, our results suggest that the hyperphosphorylation of p38 by SO contributes to c-Jun degradation, which is linked to the suppression of PGE₂ secretion in inflammatory responses; and thus, finding drugs to increase p38 activity could be a novel strategy for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.216-218
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• 2017

생물학적방제 효과가 뛰어난 Bacillus thuringiensis C25 균주의 유전체 분석을 수행하였다. 본 균주는 5,308,062 bp, G+C 비율 35.32%의 염색체와 308,946 bp, 32.23% G+C 함량이 포함된 plasmid를 지닌 것으로 확인되었다. 염색체와 plasmid DNA에 예측된 유전자의 총 수는 5,683개의 단백질 코딩유전자와 107개 tRNA 그리고 42개의 rRNA였다.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.326-328
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• 2017

Betaproteobacteria에 속하는 Herbaspirillum sp. meg3을 제주도 토양으로부터 분리하였다. 본 연구에서는 대략 5.47 Mb의 크기와 57.1%의 평균 G + C 함량을 가진 meg3 균주의 완전한 유전체를 보고한다. 유전체는 4,816개의 코딩 서열, 9개의 리보솜 RNA 및 51개의 전사 RNA 유전자가 존재하며, 두 개의 불완전한 프로파지 영역이 발견되었다. 또한 유전체 분석 결과는 meg3 균주가 방향족 화합물에 대한 분해능을 가지고 있음을 제시하고 있다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1567-1573
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• 2020

Ultraviolet (UV) is one of the major factors harmful to skin health. Irradiation with ultraviolet accelerates the decline of skin function, causing the skin to have deep wrinkles, dryness, decreased procollagen production, and degradation of collagen. Novel materials are needed to prevent the aging of the skin by blocking the effects of UV. Safflower seed oil (Charthamus tinctorius L., SSO) contains significantly high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and phytochemicals. SSO has been traditionally used in China, Japan, and Korea to improve skin and hair. Our objective in this study was to determine the effect of SSO and its active compound acacetin on UVB-induced skin photoaging in HaCaT cells and human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). SSO inhibited UVB-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) at both protein and mRNA levels in HaCaT cells and HDF. MMP-1 is known to play important roles in collagen degradation and wrinkle formation. Acacetin, a type of flavonoid, is present in SSO. Similar to SSO, acacetin also inhibited UVB-induced MMP-1 protein and mRNA levels in HaCaT cells and HDF. MMP-1 mRNA is primarily regulated by the mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Acacetin regulated the phosphorylation of JNK1/2 and c-jun, but did not inhibit the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 and AKT. Taken together, these results indicate that SSO and its active compound acacetin can prevent UVB-induced MMP-1 expression, which leads to skin photoaging, and may therefore have therapeutic potential as an anti-wrinkle agent to improve skin health.