• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 2001년도 추계학술대회 및 정기총회
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• pp.108-108
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• 2001

Axin2/Conductin/Axil and its ortholog Axin are negative regulators of the Wnt signaling pathway, which promote the phosphorylation and degradation of ${\beta}$-catenin. While Axin is expressed ubiquitously, Axin2 mRNA was seen in a restricted pattern during mouse embryogenesis and organogenesis. Because many sites of Axin2 expression overlapped with those of several Wnt genes, we tested whether Axin2 was induced by Wnt signaling. Endogenous Axin2 mRNA and protein expression could be rapidly induced by activation of the Wnt pathway, and Axin2 reporter constructs, containing a 5.6 kb DNA fragment including the promoter and first intron, were also induced. This genomic region contains eight Tcf/LEF consensus binding sites, five of which are located within longer, highly conserved non-coding sequences. The mutation or deletion of these Tcf/LEF sites greatly diminished induction by ${\beta}$-catenin, and mutation of the Tcf/LEF site T2 abolished protein binding in an electrophoretic mobility-shift assay. These results strongly suggest that Axin2 is a direct target of the Wnt pathway, mediated through Tcf/LEF factors. The 5.6 kb genomic sequence was sufficient to direct the tissue specific expression of d2EGFP in transgenic embryos, consistent with a role for the Tcf/LEF sites and surrounding conserved sequences in the in vivo expression pattern of Axin2. Our results suggest that Axin2 participates in a negative feedback loop, which could serve to limit the duration or intensity of a Wnt-initiated signal.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.61-66
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• 2004

The plasmepsins are the aspartic proteases of malaria parasites. Treatment of aspartic protease inhibitor inhibits hemoglobin hydrolysis and blocks the parasite development in vitro suggesting that these proteases might be exploited their potentials as antimalarial drug targets. In this study, we determined the genetic variations of the aspartic proteases of Plasmodium vivax (PvPMs) of wild isolates. Two plasmepsins (PvPM4 and PvPM5) were cloned and sequenced from 20 P. vivax Korean isolates and two imported isolates. The sequences of the enzymes were highly conserved except a small number of amino acid substitutions did not modify key residues for the function or the structure of the enzymes. The high sequence conservations between the plasmepsins from the isolates support the notion that the enzymes could be reliable targets for new antimalarial chemotherapeutics.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.17-24
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• 2002

We have cloned a cDNA encoding a cysteine proteinase of the Acanthamoeba healui OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a granulomatous amoebic encephalitis patient. A DNA probe for an A. healui cDNA library screening was amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of conserved amino acids franking the active sites of cysteine and asparagine residues that are conserved in the eukaryotic cysteine proteinases. Cysteine proteinase gene of A. healui (AhCPI) was composed of 330 amino acids with signal sequence, a proposed pro-domain and a predicted active site made up of the catalytic residues, $Cys^{25},{\;}His^{159},{\;}and{\;}Asn^{175}$. Deduced amino acid sequence analysis indicates that AhCPI belong to ERFNIN subfamily of C 1 peptidases. By Northern blot analysis. no direct correlation was observed between AhCPI mRNA expression and virulence of Acanthamoeba, but the gene was expressed at higher level in amoebae isolated from soil than amoeba from clinical samples. These findings raise the possibility that AhCPI protein may play a role in protein metabolism and digestion of phagocytosed bacteria or host tissue debris rather than in invasion of amoebae into host tissue.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.426-433
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• 2017

Ephrin-A5 has been implicated in the regulation of brain morphogenesis and axon pathfinding. In this study, we used bacterial homologous recombination to express a LacZ reporter in various ephrin-A5 BAC clones to identify elements that regulate ephrin-A5 gene expression during mesencephalon development. We found that there is mesencephalon-specific enhancer activity localized to a specific +25.0 kb to +30.5 kb genomic region in the first intron of ephrin-A5. Further comparative genomic analysis indicated that two evolutionary conserved regions, ECR1 and ECR2, were present within this 5.5 kb region. Deletion of ECR1 from the enhancer resulted in disrupted mesencephalon-specific enhancer activity in transgenic embryos. We also found a consensus binding site for basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) in a highly conserved region at the 3'-end of ECR1. We further demonstrated that specific deletion of the bHLH TF binding site abrogated the mesencephalon-specific enhancer activity in transgenic embryos. Finally, both electrophoretic mobility shift assay and luciferase-based transactivation assay revealed that the transcription factor Ascl1 bound the bHLH consensus binding site in the mesencephalon-specific ephrin-A5 enhancer in vitro. Together, these results suggest that the bHLH TF binding site in ECR1 is involved in the positive regulation of ephrin-A5 gene expression during the development of the mesencephalon.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.721-725
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• 2004

Acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) is one of several enzymes that require thiamine diphosphate and a divalent cation as essential cofactors. The active site contains several conserved ionizable groups and all of these appear to be important as judged by the fact that mutation diminishes or abolishes catalytic activity. Recently, we have shown [Yoon, M.-Y., Hwang, J.-H., Choi, M.-K., Baek, D.-K., Kim, J., Kim, Y.-T., Choi, J.-D. FEBS Letters 555 (2003), 185-191] that the activity is pH-dependent due to changes in $V_{max}$ and V/$K_m$. Data were consistent with a mechanism in which substrate was selectively catalyzed by the enzyme with an unprotonated base having a pK 6.48, and a protonated group having a pK of 8.25 for catalysis. Here, we have in detail studied the pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of the cofactors (ThDP, FAD, $Mg^{2+}$) in order to obtain information about the chemical mechanism in the active site. The $V_{max}$ of kinetic parameters for all cofactors was pH-dependent on the basic side. The pK of ThDP, FAD and $Mg^{2+}$ was 9.5, 9.3 and 10.1, respectively. The V/$K_m$ of kinetic parameters for all cofactors was pH-dependent on the acidic and on the basic side. The pK of ThDP, FAD and $Mg^{2+}$ was 6.2-6.4 on the acidic side and 9.0-9.1 on the basic side. The well-conserved histidine mutant (H392) did not affect the pH-dependence of the kinetic parameters. The data are discussed in terms of the acid-base chemical mechanism.

• 환경생물
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.97-106
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• 2016

$Na^+/K^+$-ATPase is a membrane protein and plays a key role in osmotic regulation in living organisms. In the present study, a cDNA sequence encoding the $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase alpha subunit from the monogonont rotifer, Brachionus koreanus was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. To investigate the role of this enzyme in osmotic stress, enzymatic activities of $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase were measured after exposure to different salinities for 48 h. The full-length Bk $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase cDNA was 3069 bp-long, encoding a 1022-amino acid polypeptide. Bk $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase possesses eight membrane spanning regions and five conserved domains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Bk $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase had high identity with those of other species, and was closely clustered with other Brachionus sp. These findings indicate that this protein was conserved both structurally and functionally. B. koreanus $Na^+/K^+$-ATPase activity was stimulated in both hyposaline (6 psu) and hypersaline (32 psu) conditions, suggesting that this protein may play a role in osmoregulation. This study would provide better understanding of the physiology of B. koreanus and this enzyme may be useful as a molecular marker for evaluation of osmotic stress in aquatic environment.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.289-295
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• 2008

RNA-RNA interactions and the dynamic RNA conformations are important regulators in virus replication in several RNA virus systems and may also involved in the regulation of many important virus life cycle phases, including translation, replication, assembly, and switches in these important stages. The 5' non-translated region of Potato virus X(PVX) contains multiple cis-acting elements that facilitate various viral processes. It has previously been proposed that RNA-RNA interactions between various RNA elements present in PVX RNA genome are required for PVX RNA accumulation(Hu et al., 2007; Kim and Hemenway, 1999). This model was based on the potential base-pairing between conserved sequence elements at the upstream of subgenomic RNAs(sgRNAs) and at the 5' and 3' end of RNA genome. We now provide more evidence that RNA-RNA base-pairing between elements present at the 5' end and upstream of each sgRNA is required for efficient replication of genomic and subgenomic plus-strand RNA accumulation. Site-directed mutations introduced at the 5' end of plus-strand RNA replication defective mutant(${\Delta}12$) increasing base-pairing possibility with conserved sequence elements located upstream of each sgRNAs restored genomic and subgenomic plus-strand RNA accumulation and caused symptom development in inoculated Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Serial passage of a deletion mutant(${\Delta}8$) caused more severe symptoms and restored wild type sequences and thus retained possible RNA-RNA base-pairing. Altogether, these results indicate that the RNA element located at the 5' end of PVX genome involved in RNA-RNA interactions and play a key role in high-level accumulation of plus-strand RNA in vivo.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.371-383
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• 2014

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers a unique opportunity for biological and basic medical researches due to its genetic tractability and well-defined developmental lineage. It also provides an exceptional model for genetic, molecular, and cellular analysis of human disease-related genes. Recently, C. elegans has been used as an ideal model for the identification and functional analysis of drugs (or small-molecules) in vivo. In this review, we describe conserved oncogenic signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, and Ras) and their potential roles in the development of cancer stem cells. During C. elegans germline development, these signaling pathways regulate multiple cellular processes such as germline stem cell niche specification, germline stem cell maintenance, and germ cell fate specification. Therefore, the aberrant regulations of these signaling pathways can cause either loss of germline stem cells or overproliferation of a specific cell type, resulting in sterility. This sterility phenotype allows us to identify drugs that can modulate the oncogenic signaling pathways directly or indirectly through a high-throughput screening. Current in vivo or in vitro screening methods are largely focused on the specific core signaling components. However, this phenotype-based screening will identify drugs that possibly target upstream or downstream of core signaling pathways as well as exclude toxic effects. Although phenotype-based drug screening is ideal, the identification of drug targets is a major challenge. We here introduce a new technique, called Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability (DARTS). This innovative method is able to identify the target of the identified drug. Importantly, signaling pathways and their regulators in C. elegans are highly conserved in most vertebrates, including humans. Therefore, C. elegans will provide a great opportunity to identify therapeutic drugs and their targets, as well as to understand mechanisms underlying the formation of cancer.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.65-75
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• 2015

Clonorchis sinensis habitating in the bile duct of mammals causes clonorchiasis endemic in East Asian countries. Parkin is a RING-between-RING protein and has E3-ubiquitin ligase activity catalyzing ubiquitination and degradation of substrate proteins. A cDNA clone of C. sinensis was predicted to encode a polypeptide homologous to parkin (CsParkin) including 5 domains (Ubl, RING0, RING1, IBR, and RING2). The cysteine and histidine residues binding to $Zn^{2+}$ were all conserved and participated in formation of tertiary structural RINGs. Conserved residues were also an E2-binding site in RING1 domain and a catalytic cysteine residue in the RING2 domain. Native CsParkin was determined to have an estimated molecular weight of 45.7 kDa from C. sinensis adults by immunoblotting. CsParkin revealed E3-ubiquitin ligase activity and higher expression in metacercariae than in adults. CsParkin was localized in the locomotive and male reproductive organs of C. sinensis adults, and extensively in metacercariae. Parkin has been found to participate in regulating mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in mammalian cells. From these results, it is suggested that CsParkin play roles in energy metabolism of the locomotive organs, and possibly in protein metabolism of the reproductive organs of C. sinensis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제19권7호
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• pp.978-983
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• 2006

Forages from grazing lands comprise conventional feed resources for ruminants in the tropical region. A study was conducted to assess fodder productivity and nutritive potential of deferred forages of six silvopastoral traditional fodder banks in central northwest Tanzania, traditionally known as Ngitiri. The grazing lands were dominated by low quality increaser grass species: Eragrostis spp., Aristida spp., Urochloa spp., Rottboellia exaltata, Cenchrus spp., Cynodon spp. and Chloris spp., and forbs species. The grazing lands had low vegetative basal cover that varied (p<0.05) from 34.7 to 75%, and low forage biomass productivity that varied (p<0.05) from 0.76 to 3.69 tones (t) dry matter (DM)/ha. The forages contained low crude protein (CP) that varied (p<0.05) from 16 to 27 g/kg DM; and had high fibre contents, which varied (p<0.05) from 702-725, 497-573 and 119-225 g/kg DM for neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL), respectively. The forages were poorly degraded in sacco, and showed low DM degradability (DMD) characteristics of 74, 473 and 576 g/kg DM for DM washing losses (a), slowly degradable feed fraction (b) and potential degradability, (a+b), respectively; and low DMD at 48 h incubation, which varied from 317-345 g/kg DM, and contained low metabolizable energy (ME), (4.2-4.36 MJ/kg DM). The herbage forages would not meet protein and energy requirements for maintenance and production, which could be reflected through low animal productivity. Further work is needed to assess animal productivity (growth, milk, draft force) from conserved forages in traditional fodder banks in the dry season.