• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.1120-1126
• /
• 2013

The syndecan family consists of four transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans present in most cell types and each syndecan shares a common structure containing a heparan sulfate modified extracellular domain, a single transmembrane domain and a C-terminal cytoplasmic domain. To get a better understanding of the mechanism and function of syndecan-4 which is one of the syndecan family, it is crucial to investigate its three-dimensional structure. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prepare the peptide because it is membrane-bound protein that transverses the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane. Here, we optimize the expression, purification, and characterization of transmembrane, cytoplasmic and short extracellular domains of syndecan4 (syndecan-4 eTC). Syndecan-4 eTC was successfully obtained with high purity and yield from the M9 medium. The structural information of syndecan-4 eTC was investigated by MALDI-TOF mass (MS) spectrometry, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It was confirmed that syndecan-4 eTC had an ${\alpha}$-helical multimeric structure like transmembrane domain of syndecan-4 (syndecan-4 TM) in membrane environments.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.38-47
• /
• 2005

Axin is a scaffold protein of the APC/axin/GSK complex, binding to all of the other signalling components. Axin interacts with Glycogen synthase kinase 3$\beta$ (GSK 3$\beta$) and functions as a negative regulator of Wnt signalling pathways. To determine the solution structure of the GSK3$\beta$ binding regions of the axin, we initiated NMR study of axin fragment comprising residues 3$Val^{388} - Arg^{401}$using circular dichroism (CD) and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The CD spectra of 3$axin^{pep}$ in the presence of 30% TFE displayed a standard 3$\alpha$-helical conformation, exhibiting the bound structure of 3$axin^{pep}$ to GSK3$\bata$. On the basis of experimental restraints including $NOE_s$, and $^3J_{HN\alpha} $ coupling constants, the solution conformation of $axin^{pep}$ was determined with program CNS. The 20 lowest energy structures were selected out of 50 final simulated-annealing structures in both water and TFE environment, respectively. The $RMSD_s$ for the 20 structures in TFE solution were 0.086 nm for backbone atoms and 0.195 nm for all heavy atoms, respectively. The Ramachandran plot indicates that the $\varphi$, $\psi$ angles of the 20 final structures is properly distributed in energetically acceptable regions. $Axin^pep$ in aqueous solutions consists of a stable $\alpha$-helix spanning residues form $Glu^{391}$ to $Val^{391} $, which is an interacting motif with GSK3$\beta$.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.61-66
• /
• 2008

Cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) is allosterically activated by cAMP and functions as a global transcription regulator in enteric bacteria. Structural information on CRP in the absence of cAMP (apo-CRP) is essential to fully understand its allosteric behavior. In this study we demonstrated interdomain interactions in apo-CRP, using a comparative thermodynamic approach to the intact protein and its isolated domains, which were prepared either by limited proteolysis or using recombinant DNA. Thermal denaturation of the intact apo-CRP, monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, revealed an apparently single cooperative transition with a slight asymmetry. Combined with circular dichroism and fluorescence analysis, the thermal denaturation of apo-CRP could be interpreted as a coupled process involving two individual transitions, each attributable to a structural domain. When isolated individually, both of the domains exhibited significantly altered thermal behavior, thus pointing to the existence of non-covalent interdomain interactions in the intact apo-CRP. These observations suggest that the allosteric conformational change of CRP upon binding to cAMP is achieved by perturbing or modifying pre-existing interdomain interactions. They also underline the effectiveness of a comparative approach using calorimetric and structural probes for studying the thermodynamics of a protein.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.965-969
• /
• 2007

The spectral properties, namely the circular dichroism, electric absorption and luminescence properties, of Λ- and Δ-[Ru(II)(1,10-phenanthroline)2benzodipyrido[b:3,2-h:2',3'-j]phenazine]2+ ([Ru(phen)2BDPPZ]2+) in the presence and absence of single stranded poly(dA) and poly(dT) were compared in this work. In the presence of single stranded DNAs, hypochromism in the absorption spectrum and significant changes in the circular dichroism spectrum in the ligand absorption band were apparent, indicating the strong interaction of the [Ru(phen)2BDPPZ]2+ complex with the single stranded DNAs. The luminescence intensity of the Ru(II) complex decreased stoichiometrically with increasing concentrations of the single stranded DNAs. All of these spectral changes were independent of the configuration of the Ru(II) complex and the nature of the DNA bases. Therefore, it is conceivable that both enantiomers of the [Ru(phen)2BDPPZ]2+ complex interact electrostatically with the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA. However, the spectral properties of [Ru(II)(1,10-phenanthroline)3]2+ were not altered even in the presence of single stranded DNAs. Therefore, the size of the ligand involved in the interaction of the metal complex with the phosphate group of DNA may play an important role, even when the nature of the interaction is electrostatic.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.584-590
• /
• 2017

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) bind to ice crystals and inhibit their growth. AFPs are essential for the survival of organisms living in subzero environments. Type I AFP (AFP37) isolated from winter flounder is an ${\alpha}$-helical peptide of 37 residues long. In this study, we attempted to develop short AFP fragments with higher activity and solubility. We designed and synthesized N-terminal 15 and 21 residue-long AFPs, designated AFP15 and 21. Also dimerized AFP15 and 21, designated dAFP15N and dAFP21N, respectively, were generated through disulfide bonds between peptides containing CGG residues added to the N-terminus of AFP15 and AFP21 (designated AFP15N and 21N). Their helical contents and antifreeze activities were assessed using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and a nanoliter osmometer, respectively. The helical content of AFP15 AFP21, AFP15N, AFP21N, dAFP15N and dAFP21N was 47, 48, 23.8, 28, 49.1, and 52%, respectively compared to that of wild type AFP37; the antifreeze activity was 8.4, 9.3, 0.05, 5.6, 12.1, 11.2% respectively, compared to that of wild type AFP37. Contrary to our anticipation, the dimerized peptides showed almost the same antifreeze activity as their monomeric counterparts. These results indicate that the dimerized peptides behave as monomeric peptides due to the high rotational freedom of disulfide bonds connecting two monomeric peptides. The star-shaped ice crystals generated by the peptides also demonstrated weak interaction between ice and peptides.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.125-129
• /
• 2012

By employing soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), the electronic structures of molecule-based nano bioparticles, such as Helicobacter pylori ferritin (H. pylori ferritin), Heme, $NaM[Fe(CN)_6]{\cdot}H_2O$-type Prussian Blue (M=Co, Ni) analogue, have been investigated. The measured Fe 2p XAS spectra reveal that Fe ions are trivalent ($Fe^{3+}$) in H. pylori ferritins, while they are in the $Fe^{2+}-Fe^{3+}$ mixed-valent states in $NaM[Fe(CN)_6]{\cdot}H_2O$ Prussian Blue analogues (M=Co, Ni). According to the Fe 2p XMCD spectrum of high-state H. pylori ferritin, all the $Fe^{3+}$ ions have the same local symmetry and their magnetic moments are aligned in the same direction. It is also found that the Fe 3d orbitals in $NaM[Fe(CN)_6]{\cdot}H_2O$ have a strong covalent bonding to $(CN)^-$ ligands, but with a very weak bonding to the 2p orbitals of O ligands.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.34 no.7
• /
• pp.2111-2116
• /
• 2013

This paper reports substituent effects on the conformational changes in polyaniline (PAni) derivatives. PAni, poly-o-toluidine (POT), and poly-o-anisidine (POA) were formed by potentiodynamic electropolymerization in aqueous solution containing (+)-camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) as a dopant. UV-Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed that the methyl group showed a greater steric hindrance than the methoxy group. Further, the doping level decreased with increasing steric hindrance. The sign pattern of the circular dichroism (CD) bands for POA was opposite to that for PAni. However, no CD bands were observed in POT. The steric hindrance caused helical inversion, but at a high level of steric hindrance, the helical conformation could not be adopted, because of the reduced doping level. The reduced crystallinity was greatly affected by the decreased doping level. The steric effect influenced the polymer conformation and the doping level, thus determining the optical activity, morphology, and crystallinity of the PAni derivatives.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.133-137
• /
• 2000

To elucidate the effect of oxygen radicals on the molecular properties of proteins, the secondary and tertiary structure and molecular weight size of BSA and ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin were examined after irradiation of proteins at various doses. Gamma-irradiation of protein solutions caused the disruption of the ordered structure of protein molecules as well as degradation, cross-linking, and aggregation of the polypeptide chains. As a model system, BSA and ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin were used as a typical ${\alpha}$-helical and a ${\beta}$-sheet structure protein, respectively. A circular dichroism study showed that the increase of radiation decreased the ordered structure of proteins with a concurrent increase of aperiodic structure content. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that irradiation quenched the emission intensity excited at 280 nm. SDS-PAGE and a gel permeation chromatography study indicated that radiation caused initial fragmentation of proteins resulting in a subsequent aggregation due to cross-linking of protein molecules.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.17-21
• /
• 2016

Periostin, a component of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, is produced and secreted by the fibroblasts that are involved in chronic allergic inflammation diseases and various types of human cancers. Periostin protein is composed of multiple domains including four FAS1 domains which play important roles in cell adhesion and tumor metastasis by interacting with integrins. In spite of their important biological role, the structural information of periosin FAS1 domains was not revealed yet. Recently we systemically prepared various constructs of the FAS1 domains and tried to express them in E. coli. Of them, only single FAS1-II and -IV domains were highly soluble. Circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies revealed that the FAS1-IV domain might be suitable for three-dimensional structure determination using NMR spectroscopy.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.15-21
• /
• 1985

The inclusion of ${\alpha}-cyclodextrin$ and ${\beta}-cyclodextrin$ with flurbiprofen in aqueous phase was investigated by UV absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopies. The inclusion complex in solid powder form were made by the freeze-drying and coprecipitation methods in molar ratio 1:1. The inclusion complex formation was confirmed by infrared absorption spectroscopy. The freeze-drying method was successful in obtaining the inclusion compounds compared with the coprecipitation method. The dissolution of solid flurbiprofen inclusion complex was examined in comparison with those of flurbiprofen alone. The inclusion complex obtained by freeze-drying method increased the dissolution rate.