• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권12호
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• pp.1628-1634
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• 2009

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) function as molecular chaperones that protect cells against environmental stresses. In the present study, the genes of hsp17.6 and hsp17.7, cytosolic class I sHSPs, were cloned from a tropical plant, Ageratina adenophorum. Their C-terminal domains were highly conserved with those of sHSPs from other plants, indicating the importance of the C-terminal domains for the structure and activity of sHSPs. The recombinant HSP17.6 and HSP17.7 were applied to determine their chaperone function. In vitro, HSP17.6 and HSP17.7 actively participated in the refolding of the model substrate citrate synthase (CS) and effectively prevented the thermal aggregation of CS at $45^{\circ}C$ and the irreversible inactivation of CS at $38^{\circ}C$ at stoichiometric levels. The prior presence of HSP17.7 was assumed to suppress the thermal aggregation of the model substrate CS. Therefore, this report confirms the chaperone activity of HSP17.6 and HSP17.7 and their potential as a protectant for active proteins.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.92-96
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• 2006

유기용매에서 효소를 이용하면 다양한 선택적 반응을 쉽게 수행할 수 있어 산업적 적용 가능성이 매우 높지만, 효소의 안정성 저하는 아직까지 큰 문제 중의 하나로 남아있다. 유기용매에서 효소 반응시 효소의 실활 원인과 효소의 안정화 방법 연구를 위하여 단백질의 folding에 관여하는 molecular chaperone의 일종인 heat-shock protein Hsp90을 이용하여, 대표적인 유기용매 반응시스템에서의 과산화효소 HRP 안정성 향상 연구를 수행하였다. 그 결과 Hsp90은 30％ DMSO, 30％ 및 50％ dioxane 완충용액에서 HRP의 실활 방지 효과를 보였고, 실활된 효소의 재생에도 탁월한 효과를 보였다. 그리고 형광분석과 CD(circular dichroism)에 의한 구조분석을 수행하여 Hsp90이 유기용매에 의해 unfolding되어 있는 효소를 다시 refolding하는 데 기여함을 알았다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권14호
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• pp.5715-5719
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• 2014

Autophagy is crucial in the maintenance of homeostasis and regenerated energy of mammalian cells. Macroautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy(CMA) are the two best-identified pathways. Recent research has found that in normal cells, decline of macroautophagy is appropriately parallel with activation of CMA. However, whether it is also true in cancer cells has been poorly studied. Here we focused on cross-talk and conversion between macroautophagy and CMA in cultured Burkitt lymphoma Raji cells when facing serum deprivation and exposure to a toxic compound, arsenic trioxide. The results showed that both macroautophagy and CMA were activated sequentially instead of simultaneously in starvation-induced Raji cells, and macroautophagy was quickly activated and peaked during the first hours of nutrition deprivation, and then gradually decreased to near baseline. With nutrient deprivation persisted, CMA progressively increased along with the decline of macroautophagy. On the other hand, in arsenic trioxide-treated Raji cells, macroautophagy activity was also significantly increased, but CMA activity was not rapidly enhanced until macroautophagy was inhibited by 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor. Together, we conclude that cancer cells exhibit differential responses to diverse stressor-induced damage by autophagy. The sequential switch of the first-aider macroautophagy to the homeostasis-stabilizer CMA, whether active or passive, might be conducive to the adaption of cancer cells to miscellaneous intracellular or extracellular stressors. These findings must be helpful to understand the characteristics, compensatory mechanisms and answer modes of different autophagic pathways in cancer cells, which might be very important and promising to the development of potential targeting interventions for cancer therapies via regulation of autophagic pathways.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.401-408
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• 2005

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the development of various human diseases. Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the major means by which cells counteract the deleterious effects of ROS. SOD activity is dependent upon bound copper ions supplied by its partner metallochaperone protein, copper chaperone for SOD (CCS). In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of PEP-1-CCS against neuronal cell death and ischemic insults. When PEP-1-CCS was added to the culture medium of neuronal cells, it rapidly entered the cells and protected them against paraquat-induced cell death. Moreover, transduced PEP-1-CCS markedly increased endogenous SOD activity in the cells. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that it prevented neuronal cell death in the hippocampus in response to transient forebrain ischemia. These results suggest that CCS is essential to activate SOD, and that transduction of PEP-1-CCS provides a potential strategy for therapeutic delivery in various human diseases including stroke related to SOD or ROS.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권7호
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• pp.2405-2409
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• 2011

The psychrophilic bacteria Psychromonas arctica survives at subzero temperatures by having adapted several protective mechanisms against freezing and oxidative stresses. Many reactive oxygen species are likely generated in P. arctica as a result of reduced metabolic turnover rates. A previous study identified the pasod gene for superoxide dismutase from P. arctica using a series of PCR amplifications. Here, upon cloning into a His-tag fused plasmid, the sod gene from P. arctica (pasod) was successfully expressed by IPTG induction. His-tagged PaSOD was subsequently purified by $Ni^{2+}$-NTA affinity chromatography. The purified PaSOD exhibited a higher SOD activity than that of Escherichia coli (EcSOD) at all temperatures. The difference in activity between PaSOD and EcSOD becomes even more significant at 4$^{\circ}C$, indicating that PaSOD plays a functional role in the cold adaptation of P. arctica in the Arctic.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.47-53
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• 2009

Sequence analysis of the Chlorella virus SS-2 revealed one putative nuclease gene that is 807 bp long and encodes a 31kDa protein. Multiple sequence alignment analysis reveals the presence of highly conserved PD-(D/E)XK residues in the encoded protein. The gene cloned into an expression vector was expressed as a His-tagged fusion protein in chaperone containing pKJE7 cells. The recombinant protein was purified using a His-Trap chelating HP column and used for functional analysis. Exonuclease activity of the SS-2 nuclease was detected when the DNA substrates, such as linear ssDNA, PCR amplicon, linear dsDNA with 5'-overhang ends, 3'-overhang ends, or blunt ends were used. Covalently closed circular DNA was also degraded by the SS-2 recombinant protein, suggesting that the SS-2 nuclease has an endonuclease activity. Stable activity of SS-2 nuclease was observed between $10^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$. The optimum pH concentrations for the SS-2 nuclease were pH 6.0-8.5. Divalent ions inhibited the SS-2 nuclease activity.

• 한국미생물생명공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국미생물생명공학회 2001년도 Proceedings of 2001 International Symposium
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• pp.62-72
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• 2001

The N-carbamoyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase (D-carbamoylase) gene (dcb) from Agrobacterium tumefaciens AM 10 has been successfully cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Expression of D-carbamoylase gene under the 17 promoter in different host strains showed that the optimal expression was achieved in E. coli JM109 (DE3) with a 9-fold increase in enzyme production compared to the wild-type strain. The co-expression of the GroEL/ES protein with D-carbamoylase protein caused an in vivo solubilization of D-carbamoylase in an active form. The synergistic effect of GroEL/ES at 28$^{\circ}C$ led to 60 ％ solubilization of the total expressed target protein with a 6.2-fold increase in enzyme activity in comparison to that expressed without GroEL/ES and 43-fold increase in enzyme activity compared to A. tumefaciens AM 10. Attempts to express D-carbamoylase in an altered redox cytoplasmic milieu did not improve the enzyme production in an active form. The Histidyl-tagged D-carbamoylase was purified in a single step by Nickel-affinity chromatography and was found to have a specific activity of 9.5 U/mg protein.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.1-16
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• 2005

The peptidyl transferase center (PTC) is located in a protein free environment, thus confirming that the ribosome is a ribozyme. This arched void has dimensions suitable for accommodating the 3'ends of the A-and the P-site tRNAs, and is situated within a universal sizable symmetry-related region that connects all ribosomal functional centers involved in amino-acid polymerization. The linkage between the elaborate PTC architecture and the A-site tRNA position revealed that the A-to P-site passage of the tRNA 3'end is performed by a rotatory motion, which leads to stereochemistry suitable for peptide bond formation and for substrate mediated catalysis, thus suggesting that the PTC evolved by genefusion. Adjacent to the PTC is the entrance of the protein exit tunnel, shown to play active roles in sequence-specific gating of nascent chains and in responding to cellular signals. This tunnel also provides a site that may be exploited for local co-translational folding and seems to assist in nascent chain trafficking into the hydrophobic space formed by the first bacterial chaperone, the trigger factor. Many antibiotics target ribosomes. Although the ribosome is highly conserved, subtle sequence and/or conformational variations enable drug selectivity, thus facilitating clinical usage. Comparisons of high-resolution structures of complexes of antibiotics bound to ribosomes from eubacteria resembling pathogens, to an archaeon that shares properties with eukaryotes and to its mutant that allows antibiotics binding, demonstrated the unambiguous difference between mere binding and therapeutical effectiveness. The observed variability in antibiotics inhibitory modes, accompanied by the elucidation of the structural basis to antibiotics mechanism justifies expectations for structural based improved properties of existing compounds as well as for the development of novel drugs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제55권6호
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• pp.643-652
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• 2017

Calreticulin (CALR), a multifunctional protein thoroughly researched in mammals, comprises N-, P-, and C-domain and has roles in calcium homeostasis, chaperoning, clearance of apoptotic cells, cell adhesion, and also angiogenesis. In this study, the spatial and temporal expression patterns of the Opisthorchis viverrini CALR gene were analyzed, and calcium-binding and chaperoning properties of recombinant O. viverrini CALR (OvCALR) investigated. OvCALR mRNA was detected from the newly excysted juvenile to the mature parasite by RT-PCR while specific antibodies showed a wide distribution of the protein. OvCALR was localized in tegumental cell bodies, testes, ovary, eggs, Mehlis' gland, prostate gland, and vitelline cells of the mature parasite. Recombinant OvCALR showed an in vitro suppressive effect on the thermal aggregation of citrate synthase. The recombinant OvCALR C-domain showed a mobility shift in native gel electrophoresis in the presence of calcium. The results imply that OvCALR has comparable function to the mammalian homolog as a calcium-binding molecular chaperone. Inferred from the observed strong immunostaining of the reproductive tissues, OvCALR should be important for reproduction and might be an interesting target to disrupt parasite fecundity. Transacetylase activity of OvCALR as reported for calreticulin of Haemonchus contortus could not be observed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제34권5호
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• pp.412-425
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• 2018

The Hfq protein is a global small RNA chaperone that interacts with regulatory bacterial small RNAs (sRNA) and plays a role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The roles of Hfq in the virulence and pathogenicity of several infectious bacteria have been reported. This study was conducted to elucidate the functions of two hfq genes in Burkholderia glumae, a causal agent of rice grain rot. Therefore, mutant strains of the rice-pathogenic B. glumae BGR1, targeting each of the two hfq genes, as well as the double defective mutant were constructed and tested for several phenotypic characteristics. Bacterial swarming motility, toxoflavin production, virulence in rice, siderophore production, sensitivity to $H_2O_2$, and lipase production assays were conducted to compare the mutant strains with the wild-type B. glumae BGR1 and complementation strains. The hfq1 gene showed more influence on bacterial motility and toxoflavin production than the hfq2 gene. Both genes were involved in the full virulence of B. glumae in rice plants. Other biochemical characteristics such as siderophore production and sensitivity to $H_2O_2$ induced oxidative stress were also found to be regulated by the hfq1 gene. However, lipase activity was shown to be unassociated with both tested genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to elucidate the functions of two hfq genes in B. glumae. Identification of virulence-related factors in B. glumae will facilitate the development of efficient control measures.