• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1090-1094
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• 2007

Melittin (ME), a linear 26-residue non-cell-selective antimicrobial peptide, displays strong lytic activity against bacterial and human red blood cells. To design ME analogue with improved cell selectivity, we synthesized a melittin diastereomer (ME-D) with D-amino acid in the leucine zipper sequence (Leu-6, Lue-13 and Ile-20). Compared to ME, ME-D exhibited the same or 2-fold higher antibacterial activity but 8-fold less hemolytic activity. Circular dichroism analysis revealed that ME-D has much less $\alpha$-helical content in $\alpha$-helical content in the presence of zwitterionic EYPC/cholesterol (10 : 1, w/w) liposomes compared to negatively charged EYPE/EYPG (7 : 3, w/w) liposomes. The blue shift of the fluorescence emission maximum of ME-D in zwitterionic EYPC/cholesterol (10 : 1, w/w) liposomes was much smaller than in negatively charged EYPE/EYPG (7 : 3, w/w) liposomes. These results suggested that the improvement in therapeutic index/cell selectivity of ME-D is correlated with its less permeability to zwitterionic membranes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.387-392
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• 2009

Here, we report the first biochemical and structural characterization of the hypothetical protein HP0902 from Helicobacter pylori, in terms of structural genomics. Gel-permeation chromatography and dynamic light scattering indicated that the protein behaves as a dimer in solution. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that HP0902 primarily adopts a $\beta$-structure and the protein was highly thermostable with a denaturing temperature higher than $70^{\circ}C$. Finally, the backbone NMR assignments were obtained on the [$^{13}C,^{15}N$]HP0902 and the secondary structure was determined using the chemical shift data. Additionally, the local flexibility was assessed via a heteronuclear $^1H-^{15}N$ steady state NOE experiment. The results revealed that HP0902 would adopt a compactly folded, all-$\beta$ topology with 11 $\beta$-strands. All of the results clearly support the notion that HP0902 belongs to the cupin superfamily of proteins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.636-641
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• 2006

Our previous studies indicated that native carbonic anhydrase does not interact with hydrophobic adsorbents and that it acquires this ability upon denaturation. In the present study, an apo form of the enzyme was prepared by removal of zinc and a comparative study was performed on some characteristic features of the apo and native forms by far- and near-UV circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic fluorescent spectroscopy, 1-anilino naphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) binding, fluorescence quenching by acrylamide, and Tm measurement. Results indicate that protein flexibility is enhanced and the hydrophobic sites become more exposed upon conversion to the apo form. Accordingly, the apo structure showed a greater affinity for interaction with hydrophobic adsorbents as compared with the native structure. As observed for the native enzyme, heat denaturation of the apo form promoted interaction with alkyl residues present on the adsorbents and, by cooling followed by addition of zinc, catalytically-active immobilized preparations were obtained.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.471-475
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• 1987

Fe(II)-poly(D-glutamic acid) (PGA) complex in aqueous solution has been investigated as functions of pH and concentration of Fe(II) by using absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopies. The helix-breaking interaction occurred at pH 4.3 while the helix-directing one occurred at pH 5.7 after forming complex between PGA and Fe(II). The relationship between conformation change of PGA by forming complex with Fe(II) and complex constants for the above system was studied. As a result, stability constants in random coil structure of PGA are larger than those in ${\alpha}$-helix structure. This result indicates that the random coil structure of PGA-Fe(II) complex shows more stable complex than ${\alpha}$-helix one.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 1998

Cop protein has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli using a T7 RNA polymerase system. Purification to apparent homogeneity was achieved by the sequential chromatography on ion exchange, affinity chromatography, and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography system. The molecular weight of the purified Cop was estimated as 6.1 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). But the molecular mass of the native state Cop was shown to be 19 kDa by an analytical high performance size exclusion chromatography, suggesting a trimer-like structure in 50 mM Tris-HCI buffer (pH 7.5) containing 100 mM NaCl. Cop protein Was calculated to contain $39.1% {\alpha}-helix, 16.8% {\beta}-sheet$, 17.4% turn, and 26.8% random structure. The DNA binding property of Cop protein expressed in E. coli Was preserved during the expression and purification process. The isoelectric point of Cop was determined to be 9.0. The results of amino acid composition analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing of Cop showed that it has the same amino acid composition and N-terminal amino acid sequence as those deduced from its DNA sequence analysis, except for the partial removal of N-terminal methionine residue by methionyl-aminopeptidase in E. coli.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.766-771
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• 2010

The biological evaluation of a new synthesized Pt(II)-complex, 2,2'-bipyridin Butylglycinato Pt(II) nitrate, an anti-tumor component, was studied at different temperatures by fluorescence and far UV circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic methods. Human serum albumin (HSA) and human tumor cell line K562 were as targets. The Pt(II)-complex has a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA. Binding and thermodynamic parameters of the interaction were calculated by fluorescence quenching method. Far-UV-CD results showed that Pt(II)-complex induced increasing in content of $\alpha$ helical structure of the protein and stabilized it. The 50% cytotoxic concentration ($Cc_{50}$) of complex was determined using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay at different incubation times. Also, fluorescence staining with DAPI (4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) revealed some typical nuclear changes, which are characteristic of apoptosis. Above results suggest that Pt (II) complex is a promising anti-proliferative agent and should execute its biological effects by inducing apoptosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.766-771
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• 2004

Julong 601, a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium strain capable of cleaving the C-ring of isoflavones daidzein and genistein, was isolated from human feces. BLAST search revealed that its complete 16S rDNA gene sequence has 99% similarity to Eubacterium ramulus. Metabolites of daidzein and genistein were determined as O-desmethylangolensin (O-Dma) and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (2-HPPA), respectively, based on UV, EI-MS, and $^1H$ and ^{13}C$ NMR spectral analyses. Enantiomers of O-Dma and 2-HPPA were isolated by chiral stationary-phase HPLC (CSP HPLC). Cleavage of the C-ring of daidzein and genistein by strain Julong 601 was highly enantioselective. Specific rotation ([$\alpha]_D$) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the enantiomers are reported here for the first time. Biotransformation kinetics of daidzein and genistein indicated that the C-ring of genistein has a higher susceptibility to bacterial degradation than that of daidzein.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.171-171
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• 2011

Co and Fe doped multi-wall carbon nano-tubes (MWCNTs) synthesized by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique are investigated with synchrotron radiations at Pohang Light Source (PAL) and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Near edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) measurement at C K, Co $L_{3,2}$ and Fe $L_{3,2}$-edges, and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at Co and Fe $L_{3,2}$-edges have been carried at 7B1 XAS KIST and 2A MS beamline, respectively, to understand the electronic structure and responsible magnetic interactions at room temperature. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at C K-edge shows significant p-bonding and Co and Fe L-edges proves the presence of $Co^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$ in octahedral symmetry. Co and Fe doped MWCNTs show good XMCD spectra at 300K. The effect on the magnetism is also studied through swift heavy ion (SHI) radiations and magnetism is found enhanced and change in the electronic structure in Co-CNTs is investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.350-350
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• 2011

The spin structure of Fe over layers on Cu (001), especially in region II is one of the unsolved problem for many years. We study the out - of - plane (OP) Fermi surfaces (FSs) of 7 monolayer Fe/Cu (001) films using angle resolved photo emission spectroscopy (ARPES). Ultrathin Fe was grown on Cu (001) substrate at room temperature and the experimental measurements were carried out at room temperature and low temperature. Fermi surfaces measured about $\frac{1}{4}$ of the Brillouin Zone (BZ) using photon energies ranging from 170 eV to 280 eV. Our results confirmed that ferromagnetic signal at 7 ML Fe on Cu (001) is nearly zero. These results are consistent with our recent x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and surface magneto - optic Kerr effect (SMOKE) experiments. Based on our observations we have made a simple model of this system, which explains all the experimental results.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.209-217
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• 1986

Yeast alcohol dehydrogenates and ginseng saponin interaction has been investigated to understand the non-specific enzyme stimulating effect of the saponin of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. It was confirmed that several amphiphiles such as sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), Triton X-100, sodium taurodeoxycholate (Na-TDC) as well as ginseng saponin mixture and purified ginseng glycosides lowered Km values of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) for ethanol and NAD in the presence of the above amphiphiles suggesting that the surface activity of the amphiphiles might play a significant role in the ADH catalyzed reactions. Conformational change of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase in the presence of the above amphiphiles at their optimal concentration for the maximum activity was studied. Circular dichroism (C.D) spectrum of yeast ADH showed that the conformational change of the enzyme occurred in the presence of above amphiphiles. Fluorescence data also showed that the hydrophobic area increased in the presence of above amphiphiles. Examination of the interaction between ADH and ginseng saponin using radioactive saponin showed that there might be a very weak interaction between them. From the above results, it was concluded that the non-specific enzyme stimulating effect of the saponin might be due to the change of polarity of the enzyme solution in the presence of the saponin.