• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.113-113
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• 2002

Phylogenetically conserved Bcl-2 family proteins play a pivotal role in the regulation of apoptosis from virus to human. Members of the Bcl-2 family consist of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w, and proapoptotic proteins such as BAD, Bax, BOD, and Bok. It has been proposed that anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins regulate cell death by binding to each other and forming heterodimers. A delicate balance between anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members exists in each cell and the relative concentration of these two groups of proteins determines whether the cell survives or undergoes apoptosis. Mcl-1 (Myeloid cell :leukemia-1) is a member of the Bcl-2 family proteins and was originally cloned as a differentiation-induced early gene that was activated in the human myeloblastic leukemia cell line, ML-1 . Mcl-1 is expressed in a wide variety of tissues and cells including neoplastic ones. We recently identified a short splicing variant of Mcl-1 short (Mcl-IS) and designated the known Mcl-1 as Mcl-1 long (Mcl-lL). Mcl-lL protein exhibits antiapoptotic activity and possesses the BH (Bcl-2 homology) 1, BH2, BH3, and transmembrane (TM) domains found in related Bcl-2 proteins. In contrast, Mcl-1 S is a BH3 domain-only proapoptotic protein that heterodimerizes with Mcl-lL. Although both Mc1-lL and Mcl-lS proteins contain BH domains fecund in other Bcl-2 family proteins, they are distinguished by their unusually long N-terminal sequences containing PEST (proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) motifs, four pairs of arginine residues, and alanine- and glycine-rich regions. In addition, the expression pattern of Mcl-1 protein is different from that of Bcl-2 suggesting a unique role (or Mcl-1 in apoptosis regulation. Tankyrasel (TRF1-interacting, ankyrin-related ADP-related polymerasel) was originally isolated based on its binding to TRF 1 (telomeric repeat binding factor-1) and contains the sterile alpha motif (SAM) module, 24 ankyrin (ANK) repeats, and the catalytic domain of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Previous studies showed that tankyrasel promotes telomere elongation in human cells presumably by inhibiting TRFI though its poly(ADP-ribosyl)action by tankyrasel . In addition, tankyrasel poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates Insulin-responsive amino peptidase (IRAP), a resident protein of GLUT4 vesicles, and insulin stimulates the PARP activity of tankyrase1 through its phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification that usually results in a loss of protein activity presumably by enhancing protein turnover. However, little information is available regarding the physiological function(s) of tankyrase1 other than as a PARP enzyme. In the present study, we found tankyrasel as a specific-binding protein of Mcl-1 Overexpression of tankyrasel led to the inhibition of both the apoptotic activity of Mel-lS and the survival action of Mcl-lL in mammalian cells. Unlike other known tankyrasel-interacting proteins, tankyrasel did not poly(ADP-ribosyl)ate either of the Mcl-1 proteins despite its ability to decrease Mcl-1 proteins expression following coexpression. Therefore, this study provides a novel mechanism to regulate Mcl-1-modulated apoptosis in which tankyrasel downregulates the expression of Mcl-1 proteins without the involvement of its ADP-ribosylation activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2023

Peroxidasin (PXDN), a multidomain heme peroxidase containing extracellular matrix (ECM) motifs, as well as a catalytic domain, catalyzes the sulfilimine crosslink of collagen IV (Col IV) to reinforce Col IV scaffolds. We previously reported that PXDN is required for endothelial cell (EC) survival and growth signaling through sulfilimine crosslink-dependent matrix assembly. In this study, we examined whether peroxidase activity is required for PXDN function in ECs. First, we constructed a mutant PXDN by point mutation of two highly conserved amino acids, Q823 and D826, which are present in the active site of the peroxidase domain. After isolation of HEK293 clones highly expressing the mutant protein, conditioned medium (CM) was obtained after incubating the cells in serum-free medium for 24 hours and then analyzed by Western blot analysis under nonreducing conditions. The results revealed that the mutant PXDN formed a trimer and that it was cleaved by proprotein convertase-like wild-type (WT) PXDN. However, peroxidase activity was not detected in the CM containing the mutant PXDN, in contrast to that of WT PXDN. In addition, the sulfilimine crosslink ability of the mutant PXDN was lost. Moreover, the CM containing the mutant PXDN failed to promote the growth of PXDN-depleted ECs, unlike the CM containing WT PXDN. These results suggest that the peroxidase activity of PXDN affects EC growth by forming a sulfilimine crosslink.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.98-101
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• 2002

Euglena gracilis abruptly changes its swimming direction after a sudden increase or decrease in incident light intensity, that is, step-up or step-down photophobic responses, resulting in photoavoidance or photoaccumulation, respectively. To identify the photoreceptor molecules for these UV-A/blue-light type photobehaviors, we purified a flavoprotein from isolated putative photosencory organelles (PFBs) of Euglena. The purified flavoprotein, which noncovalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), seemed to be a heterotetramer of alpha- and beta-subunits. Predicted amino acid sequences of each of the subunits were similar to each other and contained two FAD-binding domains each followed by an adenylyl cyclase catalytic domain. The purified flavoprotein actually showed adenylyl cyclase activity, being drastically elevated by blue-light irradiation. Suppression of gene expression of the flavoprotein (Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclase, PAC) by RNA interference (RNAi) caused loss of the step-up photophobic response, demonstrating that PAC actually mediates photoavoidance of Euglena.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3669-3676
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• 2013

Faithful transmission of genetic information depends on accurate chromosome segregation as cells exit from mitosis, and errors in chromosomal segregation are catastrophic and may lead to aneuploidy which is the hallmark of cancer. In eukaryotes, an elaborate molecular control system ensures proper orchestration of events at mitotic exit. Phosphorylation of specific tyrosyl residues is a major control mechanism for cellular proliferation and the activities of protein tyrosine kinases and phosphatases must be integrated. Although mitotic kinases are well characterized, phosphatases involved in mitosis remain largely elusive. Here we identify a novel variant of mouse protein tyrosine phosphatase containing domain 1 (Ptpcd1), that we named Ptpcd2. Ptpcd1 is a Cdc14 related centrosomal phosphatase. Our newly identified Ptpcd2 shared a significant homology to yeast Cdc14p (34.1%) and other Cdc14 family of phosphatases. By subcellular fractionation Ptpcd2 was found to be enriched in the cytoplasm and nuclear pellets with catalytic phosphatase activity. By means of immunofluorescence, Ptpcd2 was spatiotemporally regulated in a cell cycle dependent manner with cytoplasmic abundance during mitosis, followed by nuclear localization during interphase. Overexpression of Ptpcd2 induced mitotic exit with decreased levels of some mitotic markers. Moreover, Ptpcd2 failed to colocalize with the centrosomal marker ${\gamma}$-tubulin, suggesting it as a non-centrosomal protein. Taken together, Ptpcd2 phosphatase appears a non-centrosomal variant of Ptpcd1 with probable mitotic functions. The identification of this new phosphatase suggests the existence of an interacting phosphatase network that controls mammalian mitosis and provides new drug targets for anticancer modalities.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.662-671
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• 2015

To enrich the genetic resource of microbial xylanases with high activity and stability under alkaline conditions, a xylanase gene (xynSL4) was cloned from Planococcus sp. SL4, an alkaline xylanase-producing strain isolated from the sediment of soda lake Dabusu. Deduced XynSL4 consists of a putative signal peptide of 29 residues and a catalytic domain (30-380 residues) of glycosyl hydrolase family 10, and shares the highest identity of 77% with a hypothetical protein from Planomicrobium glaciei CHR43. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that deduced XynSL4 is closely related with thermophilic and alkaline xylanases from Geobacillus and Bacillus species. The gene xynSL4 was expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli and the recombinant enzyme showed some superior properties. Purified recombinant XynSL4 (rXynSL4) was highly active and stable over the neutral and alkaline pH range from 6 to 11, with maximum activity at pH 7 and more than 60% activity at pH 11. It had an apparent temperature optimum of 70℃ and retained stable at this temperature in the presence of substrate. rXynSL4 was highly halotolerant, retaining more than 55% activity with 0.25-3.0 M NaCl and was stable at the concentration of NaCl up to 4M. The enzyme activity was significantly enhanced by β-mercaptoethanol and Ca²⁺ but strongly inhibited by heavy-metal ions and SDS. This thermophilic and alkaline- and salt-tolerant enzyme has great potential for basic research and industrial applications.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.743-752
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• 1998

The atrial acetylcholine-activated $K^+\;(K_{ACh})$ channel is gated by the pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibitory G $(G_K)$ protein. Earlier studies revealed that ATP alone can activate the $K_{ACh}$ channel via transphosphorylation mediated by nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDPK) in atrial cells of rabbit and guinea pig. This channel can be activated by various agonists and also modulated its function by phosphorylation. ATP-induced $K_{ACh}$ channel activation (AIKA) was maintained in the presence of the NDPK inhibitor, suggesting the existence of a mechanism other than NDPK-mediated process. Here we hypothesized the phosphorylation process as another mechanism underlying AIKA and was undertaken to examine what kinase is involved in atrial cells isolated from the rat heart. Single application of 1 mM ATP gradually increased the activity of $K_{ACh}$ channels and reached its maximum $40{\sim}50$ sec later following adding ATP. AIKA was not completely reduced but maintained by half even in the presence of NDPK inhibitor. Neither ADP nor a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP can cause AIKA, while a non-specific phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase blocked completely AIKA. PKC antagonists such as sphingosine or tamoxifen, completely blocked AIKA, whereas PKC catalytic domain increased AIKA. Taken together, it is suggested that the PKC-mediated phosphorylation is partly involved in AIKA.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 1999

An attractive target for anti-herpes chemotherapy is the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) protease encoded by the UL26 gene. HSV-1 protease is essential for DNA packaging and virus maturation. To perform high throughput for potent inhibitors, the efficient production of larger amounts of highly purified enzyme and protease activity assay method must be established. In this report, expression in E. coli and purification of the protease gene of HSV-1 strain F was investigated. The protease gene was cloned pET28, and the nucleotide sequence of protease catalytic domain of HSV-1 compared strain F with other strains (KOS and CL101). In these results the F strain was different in base sequence. However, the amino acid sequence was identifical. The HSV-1 protease was purified with His-tagged affinity column. The analysis of HSV-1 protease activity was performed by high performance liquid chromatography.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2004

In a previous paper, the ogdH gene that encodes 2-oxoglutarat dehydrogenase was isolated from Salmonella typhimurium. The catalytic N-terminal region in the enzyme was found to be very specific for the Salmonella species. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to detect S. typhimurium in food sources using primers designed for OGDH-l and OGDH-2 which were based on the salmonella-specific region of the ogdH gene. A simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection method was developed to detect low numbers of S. typhimurium in a chicken meat microbial consortium. Using the ogdH-specific primers under stringent amplification conditions and for gene probe analysis, fewer than 100 colony-forming units (CFUs) were detectable when pure cultures were employed. When the PCR assay was run on S. typhimurium-contaminated meat contents, only the positive meat samples containing as few as 200 CFUs reacted to the assay. The method employed for sample processing is simple and it was determined to provide a sensitive means of detecting trace amounts of S. typhimurium-specific sequences in the presence of mixed meat microbial populations. When compared with six representative intestinal gram-negative bacterial strains in foods, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, Enterobacter cloacae, E. coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus sp., S. typhimurium had a unique and distinct PCR product (796 bp). In conclusion, the two OGDH primers were found to be rapid and sensitive detectors of Salmonella spp for the PCR method.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2004

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a causative agent for lymphoma disease in cattle including cows worldwide. BLV shares similar virion structure and characteristics with other retroviruses. The pol gene of the BLV genome produced reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase (IN) for important roles for BLV genome integration into host cell chromosomes that is known to be coded in the 3' side of the BLV pol gene (one third portion). In this study, we have sequenced 978 bp in the 3' side of the BLV pol gene from BLV 10C3 in order to determine the BLV IN region of it. And we compared it to the nucleotide sequences of an Australian BLV isolate. As a result, nucleotide sequences of the IN region of the Korean-type BLV pol gene were mutated at a rate of 3.7%. We can confirm that the typical mutations are such as Arg (AGG) $\rightarrow$ Lys (AAG), Thr (ACG) $\rightarrow$ Met (ATG), Ile (ATT) $\rightarrow$ Val (GTT), Asn (ACC) $\rightarrow$ His (CAC), Phe (TTT) $\rightarrow$ Leu (TTG) and Asn (ACC) $\rightarrow$ Asp (GAC). From the analysis of the sequencing data, we were able to determine the zinc-finger-like "HHCC" motif in the amino terminus of BLV IN, that was H-$X_3$-H-$X_{25}-C-X_2$-C. It was also found the DD35E motif in the IN catalytic domain as D-$X_{56}$-D-$X_{35}$-E. It fits very well to the consensus sequences of retroviral IN as well as HHCC motif.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.181-181
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• 1996

The (Na, K) ATPase is a membrane ion transporting ATPase composed of an ${\alpha}$ catalytic subunit and a ${\beta}$ glycoprotein subunit. The topology of the rat ${\alpha}$1 and ${\beta}$1 subunits has been studied by insertion of epitope(s) : at the NH2-terminus and COOH-terminus and between Glu117 and Glul18, Lys828 and Arg829, Gln900 and Trp901, and Va1939 and Phe940 of the ${\alpha}$ subunit; and at the NH2-terminus and COOH-terminus and between Glu228 and Tyr229 of the ${\beta}$ subunit. The epitope-tagged ${\alpha}$l, constructs were expressed in HeLa cells to select for stable cell lines expressing a functional (Na, K)ATPase. All constructs, except for the one tagged between Gln900 and Trp901, resulted in ouabain-resistant colonies indicating that modified proteins retained functional integrity. The epitope-tagged ${\beta}$ constructs were transiently expressed in Cos-7 cells. The orientation of the epitopes with respect to the cell membrane was revealed by indirect immunofluorescence performed on permeabilized and non-permeabilized cells expressing the (Na, K)ATPase chains. The results indicate that the ${\alpha}$ subunit has 4 transmembrane segments in the COOH terminal membrane bound domain between residues 760 and 938, and that both the NH2-terminus and the COOH-terminus are in the cytosol; it was not determined whether there are more transmembrane segments between residue 938 and the COOH-terminus. The ${\beta}$ subunit has only one transmembrane spanning region with the NH2-terminus in the cytosol and the COOH-terminus on the extracytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane.