• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2009

Members of the NAM-ATAF-CUC (NAC) protein family are plant-specific transcription factors that contain a highly conserved N-terminal NAC-domain and diverse C-terminal regions. They have been implicated in plant development and abiotic stress responses. To identify interacters of rice NAC-domain proteins (OsNACs), we performed yeast two-hybrid screening of rice cDNA library using OsNAC5 as a bait, and the results showed that OsNAC5 interacts with other OsNACs including itself. To delineate an interacting domain, a series of deletion constructs of four OsNACs were made and transformed into yeast in various combinations. The results revealed that the conserved NAC domain of OsNACs plays a primary role in homodimer and heterodimer formation, and a part of C-terminal sequence is also necessary for the interaction. In vitro pull-down assays using recombinant OsNAC proteins verified the dimer formations, together suggesting that OsNACs may act by forming homodimers and/or heterodimers in plants.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2001

Objective: We inversigated Small Heterodimer Partner (SHP) gene mutation in Korean Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) patients. SHP protein regulates the activity of nuclear receptors which regulate the cellular development and differentiation. Recently, the mutation of SHP gene was found in the obesity and diabetes patients in Japanese group, and suggested that its mutation may involved in pathogenic mechanism of PCOS. Methods: This study was performed in 20 PCOS patients and 20 normal women. The DNAs were extracted from the peripheral bloods, and amplified at each exon (1 and 2) of SHP gene by PCR method. Subsequently, each PCR product was digested with the restriction enzyme indicated below for studying restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). After enzyme digestion, the results of RFLP were compared PCOS patients with control women to find any sequence variation. Results: We examined 9 regions of exon 1 with Msp I, Pvu II, Dde I and 3 regions of exon 2 with Pst I, Dde I. There is no heterozygous or homozygous mutation in patients and control women at these restriction sites. Conclusion: The genetic analysis at our restriction sites in the SHP gene did not show any genetic variation in Korean PCOS patients. Our PCR-RFLP analysis was not covered the entire SHP gene (68 bp/1,006 bp), we need to further analysis of the entire SHP gene.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1731-1736
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• 2009

Recent studies determined that a chronic western-style diet increased the endogenous small heterodimer partner (SHP) protein levels in mice. In experiments with cell cultures, chenodeoxy cholic acid (CDCA) treatment increased endogenous SHP protein levels and reduced the degradation rate of exogenously expressed flag-SHP levels in the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2 cells. In addition, bile acid-induced intestinal fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF-19) increased the half-life of the exogenously expressed SHP when HepG2 cells were transfected with ad-flag-SHP. However, both the expression level and the degradation rate of the endogenous SHP in response to cholic acid and FGF-19 have not been well understood, either in mice or in cultured HepG2 cells. This study examined the effects of cholic acid treatment on the endogenous SHP protein levels in mice and the effects of FGF-19 on the degradation rate of the endogenous SHP protein in HepG2 cells. Mice fed 0.5% cholic acid in normal chow showed an increase in endogenous SHP protein levels during both 12 hr and 24 hr treatment periods as compared to control mice fed only normal chow. In cultured HepG2 cells, treatment with CDCA did not noticeably change the rate of degradation in the endogenous SHP protein from cells not treated with CDCA. Although consistent with the previous studies on the exogenous ad-flag-SHP protein, treatment with FGF-19 significantly decreased the degradation rate of the endogenous SHP protein when HepG2 cells were treated with cyclohexamide. These results suggest that both bile acids and FGF-19 increase the endogenous SHP protein levels in mouse liver and HepG2 cells.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.230.1-230
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.151-151
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2003

RNA plays an important role in numerous biological processes but little is known about the interactions between small organic molecules and RNA. Our previous work has shown that the heterodimeric compound designed by conjugation with neomycin and loop-specific chemical bind to the stem-loop structured RNA motifs. In the present study, heterodimer was used, in a reverse way, as a probe to identify structured RNA motifs. (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2003

hFSH (human follicle stimulating hormone) is heterodimer consisting of $\alpha$ and $\beta$ subunits. Since assembly of the both subunits in the cell is often the rate-limiting step in production of functional hormone, single-chain hormones have been engineered by genetically linking two different cDNA fragments with a linker sequence. Using retrovirus vector system, the resulting recombinant hFSH gene was transferred in CHO cells and chicken embryos, and the expression of the gene was investigated. In CHO cells, protein synthesis from the single-chain FSH gene was 17 fold higher than that from the heterodimeric counterpart. In the study of transgenic chickens, ten of the eleven chicks hatched from 62 embryos manupulated with recombinant retrovirus stock was determined to carry transgenic genes. RT-PCR analyses confirmed transcription of the single-chain FSH gene, however, no recombinant FSH was detected from the blood samples.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.314-319
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• 2008

Penicillin G amidase (PGA, benzylpenicillinaminohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.11) is industrially important enzyme which converts penicillin G to 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) and phenylacetic acid (PAA). The PGA in E. coli ATCC 11105 is secreted into the periplasm after removing signal sequences and becomes heterodimer which composed of two subunits, small subunit (24 kDa) and large subunit (65 kDa). In this study, the PGA gene was obtained from E. coli ATCC 11105 using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique. The active PGA was successfully secreated into periplasm in E. coli BL2 1(DE3) harboring pET-pga plasmid. The optimized fed-batch fermentation, consisting of a three-step shift of culture temperature from $37^{\circ}C$ to $22^{\circ}C$, gave a productivity of 19.6 U/mL with a cell growth of 62 O.D. at 600 nm.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.103-107
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• 2001

The equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) subunits $\alpha$ and ${\beta}$ are transcribed from different genes and associate noncovalently to form the bioactive eCG heterodimer. Dimerization is rate limiting for eCG secretion, and dissociation leads to hormone inactivation. The correct conformation of the heterodimer is alto important for efficient secretion, hormone-specific post-translational modifications, receptor binding and signal transduction. To determine whether ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ subunits can be synthesized as a single polypeptide chain (tethered-eCG) and also display biological activity, the tethered-eCG molecule by fusing the carboxyl terminus of the eCG ${\beta}$-subunit to the amino terminus of the af-subunit was construe-ted and transfected into chinese hamster ovary (CHO-Kl) cells. LH- and FSH-like activities were assayed in terms of testosterone production and aromatase activity in primary cultured rat Leydig cells and granulosa cells, respectively. The tethered-eCG was efficiently secreted and showed similar LH-like activity to the dimeric eCG ${\alpha}$/${\beta}$ and native eCG. FSH-like activity of the tethered-eCG was also shown similarly in comparison with the native and wild type eCG ${\alpha}$/${\beta}$. Our data for the first time suggest that the tethered-eCG can be expressed efficiently and the produced product by the CHO-K1 cells is fully LH- and FSH-like activities in rat in vitro bioassay system. Our results also suggest that this molecular can imply particular models of FSH-like activity not LH-like activity in the eCG. Taken together, these data indicate that the constructs of tethered molecule will be useful in the study of mutants that affect subunit association and/or secretion.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.315-319
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• 2004

For antibody development of human serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT, EC 2.3.1.50), SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 genes were subcloned in pRset vector and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3)pLys cells. Eucaryotic SPT is a membrane-bound heterodimer enzyme, while all other members are soluble homodimer enzymes. cDNA library were obtained from total RNA from human embryo kidney cell line, HEK293, using RT-PCR and PCR with specific primers was carried out for preparing SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 genes. pRset vector which can express hexahistidine-tag fusion protein was used and the DNA sequences of pRsetB/SPTLC1 and pRsetA/SPTLC2 were confirmed. Recombinant BL21 cells with SPTLC subunits were selected with LB plate containing ampicillin and chroramphenicol. SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 proteins were induced with 1 mM IPTG and seperated on 10% SDS-PAGE gel. Expressed proteins were confirmed by western blotting with His-tag antibody.