• Title/Summary/Keyword: Viral fusion

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Characterization of the Open Reading Frame 35 of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus

  • Zhu, Ying Min;Li, Guo Hui;Yao, Qin;Chen, Ke Ping;Guo, Zhong Jian
    • International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.157-162
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    • 2010
  • Open reading frame 35 (bm35) of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a special gene whose homologues are only found in some group-I nucleopolyhedroviruses, suggesting that bm35 plays a specific role in the viral life cycle. This paper described the characterization of BmNPV bm35. Computerassisted sequence analysis shows that a putative RING finger motif is observed in the protein, Bm35 encoded by bm35. The coding sequence of bm35 was amplified and subcloned into the vector pET30a(+) and the $(His)_6$-tagged fusion protein His-Bm35 was expressed in the Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) LysS cells. The bm35 transcript and Bm35 protein were detected in BmNPV-infected BmN cells at 12~48 h post infection (p.i.) by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis using the polyclonal antibody generated by immunizing a rabbit with purified $(His)_6$-tagged Bm35, suggesting that bm35 is synthesized in the late stage of BmNPV infection cycle. Bm35 was not a structural component associated with budded virus (BV) and occlusion derived virus (ODV). These data indicated that bm35 is a functional gene in the BmNPV life cycle.

Cinnamic acid 유도체들의 SOS 반응을 지표로한 항돌연변이 효과에 관한 연구

  • 류재천;김승희;홍연탁;허문영
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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    • 1993.04a
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    • pp.174-174
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    • 1993
  • 목적: Cinnamic acid의 유도체들중에서 항돌연변이 효과가 보고된 바 있어, 본 연구에서는 E. coil PQ37균주를 사용한 SOS chromotest를 이용하여 약 170개 cinnamic acid의 유도체들의 항돌연변이 효과를 확인하고자 하였고, 1차로 확인된 수종의 유도체들에 대한 결과를 보고하고자 한다. 방법: SOS chromotest는 sul A:: lacz fusion strain 인 E. coli PQ37 에서의 chemical로 인한 DNA damage에 대한 SOS response를 $\beta$-galactosidase enzyme activity level로서 측정하는 실험이며, m-RNA 또는 protein synthesis에 대한 test chemicals의 cytotoxic저해효과를 알아보기 위하여 alkaline phosphatase를 병행측정하여 보완하였다. 결과 및 고찰: (-)S-9 경우는 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide(4-NQO)를 유도물질로 하였으며 대략 Induction factor가 9.7 정도였고, (+)S-9의 경우는 aflatoxinB$_1$을 유도물질로 하였고 이때의 Induction factor는 13.8 정도였다. 이결과 1차로 test된 cinnamic acid유도체 6개중에서 RK001, RK002, RK003, RK004, RK005는 거의 항돌연변이 효과를 나타내지 않았으나, RK006은 항돌연변이 효과를 보여주어 이들의 Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) 및 Dose-response와 RK006의 항돌연변이 효과의 mechanism에 관해 M13 mp2 viral DNA의 유전자 염기서열을 이용하여 항돌연변이 기전연구를 수행중이다.

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Conformational Switch and Functional Regulation of Proteins (단백질의 구조 전환과 기능 조절)

  • 유명희
    • Electrical & Electronic Materials
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    • v.14 no.12
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    • pp.3-6
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    • 2001
  • In common globular proteins, the native form is n its most stable state. However, the native form of inhibitory serpins (serine protease inhibitors) and some viral membrane fusion proteins is in a metastable state. Metastability in these proteins is critical to their biological functions. Our previous studies revealed that unusual interactions, such as side-chain overpacking, buried polar groups, surface hydrophobic pockets, ad internal cavities are the structural basis of the native metastability. To understand the mechanism by which these structural defects regulate protein functions, cavity-filling mutations of $\alpha$1-antitrypsin, a prototype serpin, were characterized. Increasing conformational stability is correlated with decreasing inhibitory activity. Moreover, the activity loss appears to correlate with the decrease in the rate of the conformational switch during complex formation with a target protease. We also increased the stability of $\alpha$1-antitrypsin greatly via combining various stabilizing single amino acid substitutions that were distributed throughout the molecule. The results showed that a substantial increase of stability, over 13 kcal/mol, affected the inhibitory activity with a correlation of 11% activity loss per kcal/mol. The results strongly suggest that the native metastability of proteins is indeed a structural design that regulates protein functions and that the native strain of $\alpha$1-antitrypsin distributed throughout the molecule regulates the inhibitory function in a concerted manner.

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Conformational Switch and Functional Regulation of Proteins (단백질의 구조 전환과 기능 조절)

  • 유명희
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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    • 2001.11a
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    • pp.3-6
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    • 2001
  • In common globular proteins, the native form is in its most stable state. However, the native form of inhibitory serpins (serine protease inhibitors) and some viral membrane fusion proteins is in a metastable state. Metastability in these Proteins is critical to their biological functions. Our previous studies revealed that unusual interactions, such as side-chain overpacking, buried polar groups, surface hydrophobic pockets, and internal cavities are the structural basis of the native metastability. To understand the mechanism by which these structural defects regulate protein functions, cavity-filling mutations of ${\alpha}$1-antitrypsin, a prototype serpin, were characterized. Increasing conformational stability is correlated with decreasing inhibitory activity. Moreover, the activity loss appears to correlate with the decrease in the rate of the conformational switch during complex formation with a target protease. We also increased the stability of ${\alpha}$1-antitrypsin greatly via combining various stabilizing single amino acid substitutions that were distributed throughout the molecule. The results showed that a substantial increase of stability, over 13 kcal/mol, affected the inhibitory activity with a correlation of 11% activity loss per kcal/mol. The results strongly suggest that the native metastability of proteins is indeed a structural design that regulates protein functions and that the native strain of e 1-antitrypsin distributed throughout the molecule regulates the inhibitory function in a concerted manner.

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Enhancement of Adenoviral Transduction and Immunogenecity of Transgenes by Soluble Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-TAT Fusion Protein on Dendritic Cells

  • Kim, Hye-Sung;Park, Mi-Young;Park, Jung-Sun;Kim, Chang-Hyun;Kim, Sung-Guh;Oh, Seong-Taek;Kim, Tai-Gyu
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • v.6 no.4
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    • pp.192-198
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    • 2006
  • Background: Investigating strategy to enhance efficiency of gene transfer via adenovirus is critical to sustain gene expression in targeted cells or tissues to regulate immune responses. However, the use of adenovirus as a gene delivery method has been limited by the native tropism of the virus. In this study, the critical parameter is to improve the efficient binding of viral particles to the plasma membrane prior to cellular uptake. Methods: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) trans-acting activator of transcription (TAT), a protein transduction domain, was fused to the ectodomain of the coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR). The CAR-TAT protein was produced from a Drosophila Schneider 2 cells (S2) transfected with CAR-TAT genes. The function of CARTAT was analyzed the efficiency of adenoviral gene transfer by flow cytometry, and then immunizing AdVGFP with CAR-TAT was transduced on dendritic cells (DCs). Results: S2 transfectants secreting CAR-TAT fusion protein has been stable over a period of 6 months and its expression was verified by western blot. Addition of CAR-TAT induced higher transduction efficiency for AdVGFP at every MOI tested. When mice were vaccinated with DC of which adenoviral transduction was mediated by CAR-TAT, the number of IFN-${\gamma}$ secreting T-cells was increased as compared with those DCs transduced without CAR-TAT. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence that CAR-TAT fusion protein enhances adenoviral transduction and immunogenecity of transgenes on DCs and may influence on the development of adenoviral-mediated anti-tumor immunotherapy.

Construction of a Fluorescently Labeled Infectious R Peptide-Less Moloney MLV Molecular Clone for Analysis of Syncytium (합포체 분석을 위해 R 펩타이드가 결여된 형광 표지 Moloney 마우스레트로바이러스 Molecular Clone 제조)

  • Lee, Yong-Jin;Park, Jin-Woo;Lee, Kyu-Jun;Bae, Eun-Hye;Park, Sung-Han;Lim, Ji-Hyun;Kim, Sae-Ro-Mi;Jung, Yong-Tae
    • Korean Journal of Microbiology
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    • v.45 no.3
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    • pp.246-250
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    • 2009
  • Retroviruses enter host cells by membrane fusion between the viral Env proteins on the virus membrane and a virus receptor on the cellular membrane. The envelope protein of the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus is synthesized as a gp85 precursor and is proteolytically cleaved into an extracellular surface unit (SU) and the transmembrane protein (TM). The cytoplasmic tail (16 amino acid; R peptide) of the TM protein is further cleaved by the viral protease during virion maturation. Unlike the wild type Env protrin bearing the R peptide, R peptide-truncated Envelope induces syncytia in susceptible cells. To understand the mechanism of R peptidetruncated Env in syncytium formation, R peptide-truncated Env expressing full-length molecular clone containing EGFP in PRR (proline rich region) of Env was constructed. This molecular clone induced syncytia in transfected NIH3T3 cells, fluorescence was detected in the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane, while the nuclei did not stain and appeared black by fluorescence microscopy. Interestingly, virions with truncated envelope produced from transfected NIH3T3 cells induced syncytia in NIH3T3 cells, but fluorescence was not detected in the same infected cells. It is believed that cell-free viruses direct the fusion of neighboring cells without infection. Our data suggests that use of EGFP-tagged envelope for monitoring syncytium is a sensitive and convenient method. We also found that virion incorporated the R peptide-truncated Env is able to induce the formation of syncytia by fusion from without.

Online WOM Communication of Crossmedia Storytelling (크로스미디어 스토리텔링의 온라인 구전 양상)

  • Seo, Seong-Eun
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.134-144
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    • 2011
  • Crossmedia Storytelling is receiving attention as a new style of description in the age of limitless competition and infinite fusion among media. Crossmedia Storytelling specifies a form of storytelling carried out through mixed usage of plural media, such as televisions, movies, and web services. It is different from OSMU strategy in that plays one source of contents according to the characteristics of various media while Crossmedia Storytelling demands users' active participation. Moreover, it is also slightly different from Transmedia Storytelling in the point that narratives of each media are not complete themselves and only through effectively combining plural media can the whole story fully enjoyed. This research aims to analyze how users move among media in terms of Crossmedia contents by examining cases of Swedish interactive drama series , from Australia, and from the United States. To do so, first, the paper looks into the principles of Crossmedia communication and examines that it is based on online word-of-mouth communication, such as viral marketing. As a result, the following was found in the cases of Crossmedia Storytelling: negative stories that arouse users' emotional reactions & users' participation are effective, and the set-up of Sneezer, which causes the knowledge gap, is very important. It was also found that users' participation was actively taking place through online WOM communication in Crossmedia Storytelling.

The cloning and characterization of the small GTP-binding Protein RacB in rice.

  • Jung, Young-Ho;Jaw, Nam-Soo
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.81.2-82
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    • 2003
  • Plants have evolved along with pathogens, and they have developed sophisticated defense systems against specific microorganisms to survive. G-protons are considered one of the upstream signaling components working as a key for the defense signal transduction pathway. For activation and inactivation of G-protein, GTP-biding proteins are involved. GTP -binding proteins are found in all organisms. Small GTP-binding proteins, having masses of 21 to 30kD, belong to a superfamily, often named the Ras supefamily because the founding members are encoded by human Ras genes initially discovered as cellular homologs of the viral ras oncogene. Members of this supefamily share several common structural features, including several guanine nucleotide binding domains and an effector binding domain. However, exhibiting a remarkable diversity in both structure and function. They are important molecular switches that cycle between the GDP-bound inactive form into the GTP-bound active form through GDP/GTP replacement. In addition, most GTP-binding proteins cycle between membrane-bound and cytosolic forms. such as the RAC family are cytosolic signal transduction proteins that often are involved in processing of extracellular stimuli. Plant RAC proteins are implicated in regulation of plant cell architecture secondary wall formation, meristem signaling, and defense against pathogens. But their molecular mechanisms and functions are not well known. We isolated a RacB homolog from rice to study its role of defense against pathogens. We introduced the constitutively active and the dominant negative forms of the GTP-hinging protein OsRacB into the wild type rice. The dominant negative foms are using two forms (full-sequence and specific RNA interference with RacB). Employing southern, and protein analysis, we examine to different things between the wild type and the transformed plant. And analyzing biolistic bombardment of onion epidermal cell with GFP-RacB fusion protein revealed association with the nucle.

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Generation and Characterization of Cell-Permeable Greem Fluorescent Protein Mediated by the Basic Domain of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Tat

  • Park, Jin-Seu;Kim, Kyeong-Ae;Ryu, Ji-Yoon;Choi, Eui-Yul;Lee, Kil-Soo;Choi, Soo-Young
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.10 no.6
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    • pp.797-804
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    • 2000
  • The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat is one of the viral gene products essential for HIV replication. The exogenous Tat protein is transduced through the plasma membrane and then accumulated in a cell. The basic domain of the Tat protein, which is rich in arginine and lysine residues and called the protein transduction domain (PTD), has been identified to be responsible for this transduction activity. To better understand the nature of the transduction mediated by this highly basic domain of HIV-1 Tat, the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was expressed and purified as a fusion protein with a peptide derived from the HIV-1 Tat basic domain in Escherichia coli. The transduction of Tat-GFP into mammalian cells was then determined by a Western blot analysis and fluorescence microscopy. The cells treated with Tat-GFP exhibited dose- and time-dependent increases in their intracellular level of the protein. the effective transduction of denatured Tat-GFP into both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of mammalian cells was also demonstrated, thereby indicating that the unfolding of the transduced protein is required for efficient transduction. Accordingly, the availability of recombinant Tat-GFP can facilitate the simple and specific identification of the protein transduction mediated by the HIV-1 Tat basic domain in living cells either by fluorescence microscopy or by a fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis.

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Expression Analysis of the Mx Gene and Its Genome Structure in Chickens

  • Yin, C.G.;Du, L.X.;Li, S.G.;Zhao, G.P.;Zhang, J.;Wei, C.H.;Xu, L.Y.;Liu, T.;Li, H.B.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.23 no.7
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    • pp.855-862
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    • 2010
  • Among the known interferon-induced antiviral mechanisms, the Mx pathway is one of the most powerful pathways. The Mx protein has direct antiviral activity and inhibits a wide range of viruses by blocking an early stage of the viral replication cycle. Cloning, characterization, and expression of Mx in vivo and in vitro have been conducted. The chicken Mx gene spans 21 kb and is made up of 14 exons and 13 introns, of which the promoter region was analyzed. The real-time PCR results showed that Mx expression was increased in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) after 12- and 24-h induction with polyI: C. Induction of Mx expression by poly I: C in vivo revealed tissue-specific patterns among the chicken tissues tested. A trace expression of Mx was detected in healthy chicken liver tissues from adult chickens without inducement; the expression levels in the liver, heart, and gizzard were higher than in the muscle and kidney. This is the first report to demonstrate the expression of a glutathione-S-transferase-tagged-Mx fusion protein of 75 KDa, as well as the biological activity tested by SDS-PAGE and western blotting.