• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.705-716
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• 2018

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a critical organelle for protein synthesis, folding and modification, and lipid synthesis and calcium storage. Dysregulation of ER functions leads to the accumulation of misfolded- or unfolded-protein in the ER lumen, and this triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR), which restores ER homeostasis. The UPR is characterized by three distinct downstream signaling pathways that promote cell survival or apoptosis depending on the stressor, the intensity and duration of ER stress, and the cell type. Mammalian cells express the UPR transducers IRE1, PERK, and ATF6, which control transcriptional and translational responses to ER stress. Direct links between ER stress and immune responses are also evident, but the mechanisms by which UPR signaling cascades are coordinated with immunity remain unclear. This review discusses recent investigations of the roles of ER stress in immune responses that lead to differentiation, maturation, and cytokine expression in immune cells. Further understanding of how ER stress contributes to the pathogenesis of immune disorders will facilitate the development of novel therapies that target UPR pathways.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.10.2-10.2
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• 2011

The design and synthesis of protein-like polymers is a fundamental challenge in materials science. A biomimetic approach is to explore the impact of monomer sequence on non-natural polymer structure and function. We present the aqueous self-assembly of two peptoid polymers into extremely thin two-dimensional (2D) crystalline sheets directed by periodic amphiphilicity, electrostatic recognition and aromatic interactions. Peptoids are sequence-specific, oligo-N-substituted glycine polymers designed to mimic the structure and functionality of proteins. Mixing a 1:1 ratio of two oppositely charged peptoid 36 mers of a specific sequence in aqueous solution results in the formation of giant, free-floating sheets with only 2.7 nm thickness. Direct visualization of aligned individual peptoid chains in the sheet structure was achieved using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. Specific binding of a protein to ligand-functionalized sheets was also demonstrated. The synthetic flexibility and biocompatibility of peptoids provide a flexible and robust platform for integrating functionality into defined 2D nanostructures. In the later part of my talk, we describe the use of metal ions to construct two-dimensional hybrid films that have the ability to self-heal. Incubation of biomimetic peptoid polymers with specific divalent metal ions results in the spontaneous formation of uniform multilayers at the air-water interface. We anticipate that ease of synthesis and transfer of these two-dimensional materials may have many potential applications in catalysis, gas storage and sensing, optics, nanomaterial synthesis, and environmentally responsive scaffolds.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.817-821
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• 2016

Levodopa or L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the direct precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. L-DOPA is a well-known neuroprotective agent for the treatment of Parkinson's disease symptoms. L-DOPA was synthesized using the enzyme, tyrosinase, as a biocatalyst for the conversion of L-tyrosine to L-DOPA and an electrochemical method for reducing L-DOPAquinone, the product resulting from enzymatic synthesis, to L-DOPA. In this study, three electrode systems were used: A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as working electrode, a platinum, and a Ag/AgCl electrode as auxiliary and reference electrodes, respectively. GCE has been modified using electropolymerization of pyrrole to facilitate the electron transfer process and immobilize tyrosinase. Optimum conditions for the electropolymerization modified electrode were a temperature of $30^{\circ}C$ and a pH of 7 producing L-DOPA concentration 0.315 mM. After 40 days, the relative activity of an enzyme for electropolymerization remained 38.6%, respectively.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.938-944
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• 2005

Down-regulation of melanin synthesis is required for recovery of pigmentary disorders and it is known that direct inhibitors of tyrosinase suppress melanin synthesis. We screened several oriental medicinal plants using B16/Fl0 cells and found that the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma down-regulated melanin synthesis effectively. Although the proliferation of Bl6/Fl0 cells was decresed by the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma, it did not appear necrosis. Bl6/F10 cells incubated with the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma showed reduced pigmentation and tyrosinase activity. Western blotting revealed that the amount of tyrosinase was decreased by the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma. These results suggest that the inhibitary effect of the methanolic extract of Cnidii Rhizoma on melanogenesis is due to the suppression of tyrosinase in Bl6/F10 cells and Cnidii Rhizoma is a candidate for an efficient whitening agent.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.307-311
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• 2014

In this study, we isolated scopoletin from Cirsium setidens Nakai (Compositae) and tested its effects on melanogenesis. Scopoletin was not toxic to cells at concentrations less than $50{\mu}M$ and increased melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. As melanin synthesis increased, scopoletin stimulated the total tyrosinase activity, the rate-limiting enzyme of melanogenesis. In a cell-free system, however, scopoletin did not increase tyrosinase activity, indicating that scopoletin is not a direct activator of tyrosinase. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that scopoletin stimulated the production of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase expression via cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Based on these results, preclinical and clinical studies are needed to assess the use of scopoletin for the treatment of vitiligo.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.254-259
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• 2012

To further access honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) venom (BV) as a cosmetic ingredient and potential external treatment for topical use, we investigated its ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis on melanogenesis in B16F1 melanoma cells. We found that BV increased the cell viability in B16F1 melanoma cell and BV (0.01~1 ${\mu}g/ml$) inhibited melanin synthesis in with 10 nM ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) for 48 h. In addition, we used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting for me melanogenesis-related genes such as tyrosinase to examine the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of BV on melanogensis. BV inhibited direct tyrosinase activity, which decreased melanin synthesis in ${\alpha}$-MSH stimulated B16F1 melanoma cells. Thease findings suggest that BV induces the downregulation of melanogenesis by inhibiting tyrosinase activation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.113-120
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• 2007

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the various synthesis methods that have been employed for carbon nanotube (CNT) growth. In particular, Ren et al reported that large areas of vertically aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes could be grown using a direct current (dc) PECVD system. The synthesis of CNT requires a metal catalyst layer, etchant gas, and a carbon source. In this work, the substrates consists of Si wafers with Ni-deposited film. Ammonia $NH_3$) and acetylene ($C_2H_2$) were used as the etchant gases and carbon source, respectively. Pretreated conditions had an influence on vertical growth and density of CNTs. And patterned growth of CNTs could be achieved by lithographical defining the Ni catalyst prior to growth. The length of single CNT was increased as niclel dot size increased, but the growth rate was reduced when nickel dot size was more than 200 nm due to the synthesis of several CNTs on single Ni dot. The morphology of the carbon nanotubes by TEM showed that vertical CNTs were multi-wall and tip-type growth mode structure in which a Ni cap was at the end of the CNT.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2005

Scheduling for digital system synthesis is assigning each operation in a control/data flow graph(CDFG) to a specific control step without violating precedence relation. It is one of the most important tasks due to its direct influence on the performance of the hardware synthesized. In this paper, we propose a resource-constrained scheduling algorithm. Our algorithm first analyzes the given CDFG to determine the number of functional units of each type, then assigns each operation to a control step while satisfying the constraints. It also tries to improve the solution iteratively by adjusting the number of functional units using the results collected from the previous scheduling. Experiments were performed to test the performance of the proposed algorithm, and results are presented

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.22-26
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• 2004

A self-replicating RNA ligase ribozyme was converted to a cross-catalytic format whereby two ribozymes direct each other's synthesis from a total of four component substrates. Each ribozyme binds two RNA substrates and catalyzes their ligation to form the opposing ribozyme. The two ribozymes are not perfectly complementary, as is the case for replicating nucleic acid genomes in biology. Rather, the ribozymes contain both template elements, which are complementary, and catalytic elements, which are identical. The specificity of the template interactions allows the cross-catalytic pathway to dominate over all other reaction pathways. In the presence of $2{\mu}M$ each of the corresponding substrates, one ribozyme catalyzes the synthesis of the second ribozyme with an initial rate of $6.8{\times}10^{-3}\;min^{-1}$, while the second ribozyme catalyzes the synthesis of the first with an initial rate of $2.9{\times}10^{-3}min{-1}$. As the concentration of the two ribozymes increases, the rate of formation of additional ribozyme molecules increases, consistent with the overall autocatalytic behavior of the reaction system. Here, I present results that possibly demonstrate a clue for a self-replicating molecule by showing an RNA ligase ribozyme, which is reminiscent of 'Prebiotic Era'.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1069-1075
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• 2013

An effective method is necessary for the real-time analysis of an unmanned military robot. To achieve highly efficient simulations, a subsystem synthesis method has been developed. The subsystem synthesis method separately generates equations of motion for the base body and for the subsystem. The equations of motion are expressed by DAE, which consist of differential equations and algebraic equations. To increase the accuracy and efficiency of solutions, DAE solvers such as the Direct, CS (Constraint Stabilization), and GCP (Generalized Coordinate Partitioning) method are employed. In this study, the subsystem synthesis method is applied for effective multi-body dynamics analysis of an unmanned military robot, and a comparative study of three different DAE solvers is carried out.