• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.367-371
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• 2001

The chromosome 7-linked long QT syndrome (LQT2) is caused by mutations in the human ether-a- go-go-related gene (HERG) that encodes the rapidly activating delayed rectifier $K^+$ current, $I_{Kr},$ in cardiac myocytes. Different types of mutations have been identified in various locations of HERG channel. One of the mechanisms for the loss of normal channel function is due to membrane trafficking of channel protein. The decreased channel function in some deletion mutants appears to be due to loss of coupling with wild type HERG to form the functional channel as the tetramer. Most of missense mutants with few exceptions could interact with wild type HERG to form functional tetramer and caused dominant negative suppression with co-injection with wild type HERG showing variable effects on current amplitude, voltage dependence, and kinetics of activation and inactivation. Two missense mutants at pore regions of HERG found in Japanese LQT2 (A614V and V630L) showed accentuated inward rectification due to a negative shift in steady-state inactivation and fast inactivation. One mutation in S4 region (R534C) produced a negative shift in current activation, indicating the S4 serving as the voltage sensor and accelerated deactivation. The C-terminus mutation, S818L, could not express the current by mutant alone and did not show dominant negative suppression with co-injection of equal amount of wild type cRNA. Co-injection of excess amount of mutant with wild type produced dominant negative suppression with a shift in voltage dependent activation. Therefore, multiple mechanisms are involved in different mutations and functional abnormality in LQT2. Further characterization with the interactions between various mutants in HERG and the regulatory subunits of the channels (MiRP1 and minK) is to be clarified.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 2007

Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS) exists in two different forms with respect to tRNA recognition. The discriminating enzyme (D-AspRS) recognizes only tRNA$^{Asp}$, while the non-discriminating one (ND-AspRS) also recognizes tRNA$^{Asn}$ and therefore forms both Asp-tRNA$^{Asn}$ and Asp-tRNA$^{Asp}$. Plus primary sequence distinguishes two general groups of AspRS. There is a predominantly bacterial-type, larger AspRS (about 580 aa) in addition to a shorter archaeal/eukaryotic type (about 430 aa). In vivo data made clear that discriminating and non-discriminating enzymes exist in both groups. The determinants in the protein sequence responsible for tRNA discrimination are not hewn. The AspRS from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans might be suggested ND-AspRS fur missing of AsnRS in genomic sequencing data. Therefore, we analyzed the AspRS from A. ferrooxidans with in vitro aminoacylation assay with E. coli unfractionated tRNA, in vivo missense suppression assay with tipA34 mutant and Northern hybridization with probes which were specific with tRNA$^{Asp}$ or tRNA$^{Asn}$. The AspRS from A. ferrooxidans produced more Asp-tRNA than that from E. coli. Only aspS gene from A. ferrooxidans suppressed trpA34 strain in minimal media without tryptophan. Only AspRS from A. ferrooxidans showed mischarged Asp-tRNA$^{Asn}$ band. Therefore, AspRS from A. ferrooxidans is definitely ND-AspRS.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2016

Mutant p53 (R280K) is highly expressed in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative human breast cancer cells. Currently, we reported the role of mutant p53-R280K in mediating the survival of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro. The present study was undertaken to determine whether mutant p53-R280K affects breast cancer cell growth in vivo. To this end, we used small interfering RNA to knockdown the level of mutant p53-R280K in MDA-MB-231 cells. Silencing of mutant p53-R280K in MDA-MB-231 cells causes substantial tumor regression of established xenografts in vivo. In xenograft model for breast cancer, silencing of mutant p53-R280K in MDA-MB-231 cells significantly inhibited the tumor growth. Moreover, TUNEL assay showed more occurrence of apoptotic cells in mutant p53-R280K silenced tumors compared to control. Our data indicate that mutant p53-R280K has an important role in mediating tumor growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in vivo. Taken together, this study suggests that endogenous mutant p53-R280K could be used as a therapeutic target for breast cancer cells harboring this TP53 missense mutation.