• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2012

The molecular mechanisms by which a variety of naturally-occurring dietary compounds exert chemopreventive effects have been a subject of intense scientific investigations. Induction of phase II detoxification and anti-oxidant enzymes through activation of Nrf2/ARE-dependent gene is recognized as one of the major cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative or xenobiotic stresses and currently represents a critical chemopreventive mechanism of action. In the present review, the functional significance of Keap1/Nrf2 protein module in regulating ARE-dependent phase II detoxification and anti-oxidant gene expression is discussed. The biochemical mechanisms underlying the phosphorylation and expression of Keap1/Nrf2 proteins that are controlled by the intracellular signaling kinases and ubiquitin-mediated E3 ligase system as well as control of nucleocytoplasmic translocation of Nrf2 by its innate nuclear export signal (NES) are described.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2001

Disease resistance in plants is often controlled by gene-for-gene mechanism in which avirulence (avr) gene products encoding by pathogens are specifically recognized, either directly or indirectly by plant disease resistance (R) gene products. Recent studies arising from molecular cloning of a number of R genes from various plant species that confer resistance to different pathogens and corresponding avr genes from various pathogens resulted in the accumulation of a wealth of knowledge on mode of action of gene-for-gene interaction. Specially, members of the NBS-LRR class of R genes encoding proteins containing a nucleotide binding site (NBS) and carboxyl-terminal leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) confer resistance to very different types of phytopathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, viruses, nematodes and aphids. This article reviewed the molecular events that occur up-stream of defense response pathway, specially, bacterial avr gene protein recognition mediated by NBS-LRR type R gene product in plant based on current research results of well studied model plants.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.429-440
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• 2010

We constructed a rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) gill cDNA library and a total of 1450 expressed sequence tag (EST) clones were generated. Gene annotation procedures and homology searches of the sequenced ESTs were locally done by BLASTX for amino acid similarity comparisons. Of the 1450 EST clones, 1022 EST clones showed significant homology to previously described genes while 428 ESTs were unidentified, and 259 clones were hypothetical, or unnamed proteins. Encoding 313 different sequences were identified as putative bio-defense genes or genes associated with immune response.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.229-238
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• 2010

We constructed a rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) liver cDNA library and a total of 1533 expressed sequence tag (EST) clones were generated. Gene annotation procedures and homology searches of the sequenced ESTs were analyzed using BLASTX. Of the 1533 EST clones, 1165 different ESTs showed significant homology to previously described genes while 368 ESTs were unidentified, hypothetical, or unnamed proteins. Encoding 106 different sequences were identified as putative bio-defense genes or genes associated with immune response.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2017

Copper (Cu) is very toxic to plant cells due to its inhibitory effects on many physiological and biochemical processes. In spite of its potential physiological and economic significance, molecular characterization after Cu stress has so far been grossly overlooked in sorghum. To explore the molecular alterations that occur in response to copper stress, the present study was executed in ten-day-old Cu-exposed leaves of sorghum seedlings. The growth of shoots was markedly reduced, and ionic alterations were prominently observed in the leaves when the seedlings were exposed to different concentrations (0, 100, and $150{\mu}M$) of $CuSO_4$. Using two-dimensional gels with silver staining, 643 differentially expressed protein spots (${\geq}1.5-fold$) were identified as either significantly increased or reduced in abundance. Of these spots, a total of 24 protein spots (${\geq}1.5-fold$) from Cu-exposed sorghum leaves were successfully analyzed by MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. Of the 24 differentially expressed proteins from Cu-exposed sorghum leaves, a total of 13 proteins were up-regulated, and 11 proteins were down-regulated. The abundance of most identified protein species, which function in carbohydrate metabolism, stress defense, and protein translation, was significantly enhanced, while that of another protein species involved in energy metabolism, photosynthesis and growth and development were severely reduced. The resulting differences in protein expression patterns together with related morpho-physiological processes suggested that these results could help to elucidate plant adaptation to Cu stress and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of Cu responses in $C_4$ plants. The over-expression of GAPDH plays a significant role in assisting Sorghum bicolor to attenuate the adverse effects of oxidative stress caused by Cu, and the proteins involved in resistance to stress helped the sorghum plants to tolerate high levels of Cu.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.460-469
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• 2017

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are induced as a self-defense mechanism of cells when exposed to various external stresses, such as high fever, infection, free radicals, and heavy metals. They affect the prognosis in the process of tumor formation. HSP is classified into four families: HSP27, HSP60, HSP90, and HSP100, depending on molecular weight. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a molecular chaperone, plays an important role in the cellular protection against various stressful stimuli and in the regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. In the present study, we assessed the differential expression of HSP90 family proteins in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the correlation of their expression levels with clinicopathologic factors and patient survival rates. The result of this study can be summarized as follows; $HSP90{\alpha}$ showed higher expression in patients with no lymphovascular invasion (p=0.014). $HSP90{\beta}$ showed a higher expression of squamous cell carcinoma (p=0.003), and an over expression of glucose-related protein (GRP94) was significantly associated with poor differentiation (p=0.048). However, none of the HSP90 proteins showed a significant association with the survival status in patients with NSCLC. This study also indicates that $HSP90{\alpha}$ might contribute more to the carcinogenesis of NSCLC than $HSP90{\beta}$, and GRP94 and isoform selectivity should be considered when HSP90 inhibitors are studied or utilized in the treatment of NSCLC.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.260-268
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• 2016

The aim of this work was to investigate the cellular responses and proteomic analysis of Bacillus cereus MH-2 exposed to EGCG. Strain MH-2 was isolated from commercial Ssamjang and has the hemolytic activity. Survival of the MH-2 strain with time in the presence of different concentrations of EGCG under sublethal conditions was monitored. The amount of alginate from MH-2 strain decreased depending on the increasing concentrations of EGCG and increased depending on the exposure time at any particular EGCG concentration. Analysis of SDS-PAGE and Western blot using anti-DnaK and anti-GroEL revealed that two stress shock proteins, 70 kDa DnaK and 60 kDa GroEL were found to decrease in proportion to the EGCG concentration in exponentially growing cultures. Scanning electron microscopic analysis demonstrated the presence of protrusions and fused rod forms on the cells treated with EGCG. 2-DE of soluble protein fractions from MH-2 cultures showed 20 protein spots changed by EGCG exposure. These proteins involved in enterotoxins (hemolysin BL lytic component L1 and hemolysin BL-binding protein), chaperons (DnaK and GroEL), cell defense (peptidase M4 family proteins), and various biosynthesis and energy metabolism were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF. These results provide clues for understanding the mechanism of EGCG-induced stress and cytotoxicity on B. cereus MH-2.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.617-626
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• 2011

Transglutaminase from Streptomyces mobaraensis is an enzyme of unknown function that cross-links proteins to high molecular weight aggregates. Previously, we characterized two intrinsic transglutaminase substrates with inactivating activities against subtilisin and dispase. This report now describes a novel substrate that inhibits papain, bromelain, and trypsin. Papain was the most sensitive protease; thus, the protein was designated Streptomyces papain inhibitor (SPI). To avoid transglutaminase-mediated glutamine deamidation during culture, SPI was produced by Streptomyces mobaraensis at various growth temperatures. The best results were achieved by culturing for 30-50 h at $42^{\circ}C$, which yielded high SPI concentrations and negligibly small amounts of mature transglutaminase. Transglutaminasespecific biotinylation displayed largely unmodified glutamine and lysine residues. In contrast, purified SPI from the $28^{\circ}C$ culture lost the potential to be cross-linked, but exhibited higher inhibitory activity as indicated by a significantly lower $K_i$ (60 nM vs. 140 nM). Despite similarities in molecular mass (12 kDa) and high thermostability, SPI exhibits clear differences in comparison with all members of the wellknown family of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitors. The neutral protein (pI of 7.3) shares sequence homology with a putative protein from Streptomyces lavendulae, whose conformation is most likely stabilized by two disulfide bridges. However, cysteine residues are not localized in the typical regions of subtilisin inhibitors. SPI and the formerly characterized dispase-inactivating substrate are unique proteins of distinct Streptomycetes such as Streptomyces mobaraensis. Along with the subtilisin inhibitory protein, they could play a crucial role in the defense of vulnerable protein layers that are solidified by transglutaminase.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2017

Enhanced disease susceptibility1 (EDS1) is a regulator of basal defense responses required for resistance mediated by TIR-NBS-LRR containing R proteins. We identified three transcripts of EDS1-like genes encompassing diverse/separate expression patterns, based on the transcriptome analysis by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of V. flexuosa inoculated with Elsinoe ampelina. These genes were designated VfEDL1 (Vitis flexuosa Enhanced Disease Susceptibility1-like1), VfEDL2 and VfEDL3, and contained 2464, 1719 and 1599 bp, with 1791, 1227 and 1599 bp open reading frames (ORFs), encoding proteins of 596, 408 and 532 amino acids, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequences of all three genes showed the L-family lipase-like domain (class 3 lipase domain), and exhibited a potential lipase catalytic triad, aspartic acid, histidine and serine in the conserved G-X-S-X-G. All three VfEDL genes were upregulated at 1 hpi against the bacterial and fungal pathogens Rizhobiumvitis and E. ampelina, respectively, except VfEDL1, which was downregulated against E. ampelina at all time points. Against E. ampelina, VfEDL2 and VfEDL3 showed downregulated expression at later time points. When evaluated against R. vitis, VfEDL1 showed downregulated expression at all time points after 1 hpi, while VfEDL3 showed upregulation up to 24 hpi. Based on the expression response, all three genes may be involved in plant resistant responses against R. vitis, and VfEDL2 and VfEDL3 show additional resistant responses against E. ampelina infection.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2013

Against environmental stresses, many bacteria utilize the alternate sigma factor RpoS that induces transcription of the specific set of genes helpful in promoting bacterial survival. Intracellular levels of RpoS are determined mainly by its turnover through proteolysis of ClpXP protease. Delivery of RpoS to ClpXP strictly requires the adaptor protein RssB. The two-component-type response regulator RssB constantly interacts with RpoS, but diverse environmental changes inhibit this interaction through modification of RssB activity, which increases RpoS levels in bacteria. This review discusses and summarizes recent findings on regulatory factors in RssB-RpoS interactions, including IraD, IraM, IraP anti-adaptor proteins of RssB and phosphorylation of N-terminal receiver domain of RssB. New information shows that the coordinated regulation of RssB activity in controlling RpoS turnover confers efficient bacterial defense against stresses.