• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.527-535
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• 2021

Sclerostin (SOST), a regulator of bone formation in osteocytes, inhibits the canonical Wnt signaling by interacting with low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 (LRP5/6) to prevent Wnt binding. Loss-of-function mutations of the SOST gene caused massive bone outgrowth and SOST-null mouse exhibited a high bone density phenotype. Therefore, SOST has been suggested as a promising therapeutic target for osteoporosis. A few previous studies with X-ray crystallography identified the binding interfaces between LRP6 and SOST, but there are limitations in these studies as they used truncated SOST protein or SOST peptide. Here, we analyzed the conformational dynamics of SOST-LRP6 E1E2 complex using hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS). We examined the effect of the C-terminal tail of SOST on LRP6 conformation upon complex formation. HDX-MS analysis suggested a new potential binding interface for the C-terminal region of SOST that was missing from the previous crystal structure of the SOST-LRP6 E1E2 complex.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2017

Chemerin receptor, which predominantly expressed in immune cells as well as adipose tissue, was found to stimulate chemotaxis of dendritic cells and macrophages to the site of inflammation. Chemerin is a widely distributed multifunctional secreted protein implicated in immune cell migration, adipogenesis, osteoblastogenesis, angiogenesis, myogenesis, and glucose homeostasis. Recent studies suggest chemerin may play an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance and it becomes a potential therapeutic target for treating type II diabetes. The crystal structure of chemerin receptor has not yet been resolved. Therefore, in the present study, homology modelling of CMKLR1 was done utilizing the crystal structure of human angiotension receptor in complex with inverse agonist olmesartan as the template. Since the template has low sequence identity, we have incorporated both threading and comparative modelling approach to generate the three dimensional structure. 3D models were generated and validated. The reported models can be used to characterize the critical amino acid residues in the binding site of CMKLR1.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.529-537
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• 2021

Most animals face frequent periods of starvation throughout their entire life and thus need to appropriately adjust their behavior and metabolism during starvation for their survival. Such adaptive responses are regulated by a complex set of systemic signals, including hormones and neuropeptides. While much progress has been made in identifying pathways that regulate nutrient-excessive states, it is still incompletely understood how animals systemically signal their nutrient-deficient states. Here, we showed that the FMRFamide neuropeptide FLP-20 modulates a systemic starvation response in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that mutation of flp-20 rescued the starvation hypersensitivity of the G protein β-subunit gpb-2 mutants by suppressing excessive autophagy. FLP-20 acted in AIB neurons, where the metabotropic glutamate receptor MGL-2 also functions to modulate a systemic starvation response. Furthermore, FLP-20 modulated starvation-induced fat degradation in a manner dependent on the receptor-type guanylate cyclase GCY-28. Collectively, our results reveal a circuit that senses and signals nutrient-deficient states to modulate a systemic starvation response in multicellular organisms.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 1997

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission is involved in synaptic plasticity, developmental processes, learning and memory and many neuropathological disorders including age-related diseases. In the present study, regulation of the NMDA receptor properties by various ligands was investigated using $[^3H]MK-801$ binding studies in the synaptic membranes of young and aged rat forebrains. The binding in the presence of glutamate and glycine increased dramatically with growth between 1 and 6 weeks old, and thereafter declined gradually with aging. Glutamate, glycine or spermine respectively increased the binding with growth. Glutamate maintained the binding during aging, while glycine or spermine significantly decreased the binding in the aged brain. The maximum stimulation by glycine varied depending on the ages of brains. Greater sensitivity to glycine was observed at 1 week and 3 months and the sensitivity was significantly reduced in the aged brain. In contrast, spermine showed similar stimulation patterns in young and aged rats. These results indicated that the functional properties of the NMDA receptor-ion channel complex in young and aged rat forebrains are differentially regulated by agonists, and the reduction of the receptor function with normal aging may be, in some degree, due to the reduction of the receptor sensitivity to glycine.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.55-58
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• 2009

A ligand-receptor docking program is an indispensible tool in modern pharmaceutical design. An accurate prediction of small molecular docking pose to a receptor is essential in drug design as well as molecular recognition. An effective docking program requires the ability to locate a correct binding pose in a surprisingly complex conformational space. However, there is an inherent difficulty to predict correct binding pose. The odds are more demanding than finding a needle in a haystack. This mainly comes from the flexibility of both ligand and receptor. Because the searching space to consider is so vast, receptor rigidity has been often applied in docking programs. Even nowadays the receptor may not be considered to be fully flexible although there have been some progress in search algorithm. Improving the efficiency of searching algorithm is still in great demand to explore other applications areas with inherently flexible ligand and/or receptor. In addition to classical search algorithms such as molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, genetic algorithm and simulated annealing, rather recent algorithms such as tabu search, stochastic tunneling, particle swarm optimizations were also found to be effective. A good search algorithm would require a good balance between exploration and exploitation. It would be a good strategy to combine algorithms already developed. This composite algorithms can be more effective than an individual search algorithms.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.196-201
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• 1996

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-ion channel complex is activated by the simultaneous presence of L-glutamate and glycine, allowing the binding of MK-801 to the phencyclidine (PCP) site of the receptor. The $[^3H]$MK-801 binding assay system was established for determination of pharmacological functions of test compounds acting at the glycine site of the receptor. The binding in the presence of 0.1 $\mu$M L-glutamate was increased by an agonist (glycine) in a dose-dependent fashion, while decreased by either partial agonist (R-(+)-HA-966) or antagonist (5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid: 5,7-DCKA). To distinguish partial agonism from antagonism, various concentrations of 7-chlorokynurenic acid (7-CKA) were added in the assay to eliminate the interference of the endogenous glycine present in the membrane preparations. The bindings in the presence of L-glutamate (0.1$\muM$) and 7-CKA (1, 5, or 10$\muM$) were increased by R-(+)-HA-966. Being a weak partial agonist, the extent of potentiation was much less than that by the agonist. These binding profiles were clearly distinguishable from those by the antagonist, 5,7-DCKA, which exhibited no intrinsic activity. The binding assays established in the present study are a useful system to classify ligands acting at the glycine site of the NMDA receptor by their pharmacological functions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 1998

One of the better-characterized transcription factor of E. coli is the cAMP receptor protein(CRP) and the CRP binds cAMP and DNA. The cAMP-CRP complex is involved in regulation of many genes at bacteria. The cAMP-CRP regulatory element represents, in some respects, a global regulatory network. The aim of this work was to study the structure and the mechanisms controlling the expression of CRP in Serratia marcescens. We have been get 5 different clones from Serratia which stimulated the cells to use maltose as a sole carbon source in E. coli TP2139. The crp gene clone, pCKB12, was confirmed by Southern hybridization with E. coli crp gene. The location of the crp gene was determined by construction subclones carrying various portions of pCKB12. To investigate the potential role of CRP in E. coli, lacZ fused plasmids were constructed and investigated the ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity of the fused plasmid. The Serratiamarcescens cAMP receptor protein can substitute the E. coli CRP in transcriptional activation at the lacZ gene. These results suggest that Serratia marcescens cAMP receptor protein complex functions to regulate several promoters in E. coli.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1225-1228
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• 2006

Cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) complexed with cAMP binds to DNA and induces sharp DNA bending around ${\sim}90$ degree. Previous publication (5), however, reported that mutant CRP:cGMP complex showed high migration rate relative to mutant CRP:cAMP complex on native polyacrylamide gel. To confirm DNA structural change in the presence of CRP and cyclic nucleotide, molar cyclization factor $(j_M)$ [13] was measured with 6 constructed DNA fragments. Nonlinear regression analysis of $j_M$ data indicated that mutant CRP did not induce DNA bending in the presence of cGMP but bent DNA in the presence of cAMP without any helical twist change in DNA.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2001

T cells play a central role in the initiation and regulation of the immune response to foreign antigens. Full activation of T cells requires the engagement of T cell receptor complex (TCR) and the binding of a second costimulatory receptor to its ligand expressed on antigen presenting cells (APC). Among the molecules known to provide costimulatory function, CD28 has been the most dominant and potent costimulatory molecule. However, the function of CD28 is becoming more complex due to the recent discovery of its structural homologue, CTLA-4 and ICOS. This review summarizes the biology and physiologic function of each of these receptors, and further focuses on the biochemical mechanism underlying the function of these receptors. Complete understanding of the CD28/CTLA-4/ICOS costimulatory pathway will provide the basis for developing new therapeutic approaches for immunological dieseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.46-49
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• 2012

The Vibrio vulnificus vuuA gene, of which expression is repressed by a complex of iron and ferric uptake regulator (Fur), was characterized to localize the Fur-binding site in its upstream regulatory region. In silico analysis suggested the presence of two possible Fur-binding sites; one is a classical Fur-box and the other is a previously reported distinct Fur-binding site. Site-directed mutagenesis and DNase I protection assays revealed the binding site for the iron-Fur complex, which includes an extended inverted repeat containing a homologous sequence to the classical Fur-box.