• BMB Reports
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.590-594
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• 1998

X-ray crystallographic studies of the deoxy form of human adult hemoglobin (Hb A) have shown that ${\beta}99Asp$ is hydrogen bonded to both ${\alpha}42Tyr$ and ${\alpha}97Asn$ in the ${\alpha}_1{\beta}_2$ subunit interface, suggesting that the essential role of ${\beta}99Asp$ is to stabilize the deoxy-Hb by creating the intersubunit hydrogen bond. In particular, for Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$), molecular dynamics simulation indicated that a new hydrogen bond involving ${\beta}99Asn$ can be induced by replacing ${\alpha}42Tyr$ with a strong hydrogen-bond acceptor such as Asp. Designed mutant recombinant (r) Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$, ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) have been produced in the Escherichia coli expression system and have shown that functional defects of Hb Kempsey could be compensated by the ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$ substitution. However, as the ${\alpha}42 Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$ mutation has never been reported before, it is still possible that the functional properties of r Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$, ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) may be due to the mutation itself. Thus, it is required to produce r Hb (${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) and r Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}AsnX$( as controls, and to compare their properties with those of r Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$, ${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$). r Hb (${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp$) could not be purified because it is an unstable hemoglobin which forms Heinz bodies. r Hb Kempsey (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$) exhibits very high oxygen affinity and greatly reduced cooperativity. Thus, r Hb (${\beta}99Asp{\rightarrow}Asn$) and r Hb (${\alpha}42Tyr{\rightarrow}Asp)$ compensate each other.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.839-847
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• 2006

The aim of this study is to monitor reporter gene expression under osteocalcin gene promoter, using a real-time molecular imaging system, as tool to investigate osteoblast differentiation. The promoter region of mouse osteocalcin gene 2 (mOG2), the best-characterized osteoblast-specific gene, was inserted in promoterless luciferase reporter vector. Expression of reporter gene was confirmed and relationship between the reporter gene expression and osteoblastic differentiation was evaluated. Gene expression according to osteoblstic differentiation on biomaterials, utilizing a real-time molecular imaging system, was monitored. Luciferase was expressed at the only cells transduced with pGL4/mOGP and the level of expression was statistically higher at cells cultured in mineralization medium than cells in growth medium. CCCD camera detected the luciferase expression and was visible differentiation-dependent intensity of luminescence. The cells produced osteocalcin with time-dependent increment in BMP-2 treated cells and there was difference between BMP-2 treated cells and untreated cells at 14days. There was difference at the level of luciferase expression under pGL4/mOGP between BMP-2 treated cells and untreated cells at 3days. CCCD camera detected the luciferase expression at cells transduced with pGL4/mOGP on Ti disc and was visible differentiation-dependent intensity of luminescence This study shows that 1) expression of luciferase is regulated by the mouse OC promoter, 2) the CCCD detection system is a reliable quantitative gene detection tool for the osteoblast differentiation, 3) the dynamics of mouse OC promoter regulation during osteoblast differentiation is achieved in real time and quantitatively on biomaterial. The present system is a very reliable system for monitoring of osteoblast differentiation in real time and may be used for monitoring the effects of growth factors, drug, cytokines and biomaterials on osteoblast differentiation in animal.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.258-266
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• 2020

Background: Oxidative stress-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis is a key pathological process in ischemic heart disease. Glutathione reductase (GR) reduces glutathione disulfide to glutathione (GSH) to alleviate oxidative stress. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) prevents the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes; however, the role of GR in this process is unclear. Therefore, the effects of GRb1 on GR were investigated in this study. Methods: The antiapoptotic effects of GRb1 were evaluated in H9C2 cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, annexin V/propidium iodide staining, and Western blotting. The antioxidative effects were measured by a reactive oxygen species assay, and GSH levels and GR activity were examined in the presence and absence of the GR inhibitor 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the binding of GRb1 to GR. The direct influence of GRb1 on GR was confirmed by recombinant human GR protein. Results: GRb1 pretreatment caused dose-dependent inhibition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced cell apoptosis, at a level comparable to that of the positive control N-acetyl-L-cysteine. The binding energy between GRb1 and GR was positive (-6.426 kcal/mol), and the binding was stable. GRb1 significantl reduced reactive oxygen species production and increased GSH level and GR activity without altering GR protein expression in H9C2 cells. Moreover, GRb1 enhanced the recombinant human GR protein activity in vitro, with a half-maximal effective concentration of ≈2.317 μM. Conversely, 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea co-treatment significantly abolished the GRb1's apoptotic and antioxidative effects of GRb1 in H9C2 cells. Conclusion: GRb1 is a potential natural GR agonist that protects against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of H9C2 cells.

• 한국지능시스템학회논문지
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.529-535
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• 2015

지금까지 생체 네트워크 분석 연구는 정적(static)인 개념으로만 다루어졌다. 그러나 실제 생명현상이 발생하는 세포 내에서는 세포의 상태 및 외부 환경에 따라 일부 단백질과 그 상호작용만이 선택적으로 활성화된다. 따라서 생체 네트워크의 구조가 시간의 흐름에 따라 변화하는 동적(dynamic)인 개념이 적용되어야 하며, 이런 개념은 질병의 진행 추이를 분석하는데 효율적이다. 본 논문에서는 동적인 네트워크 방법을 알츠하이머 질병에 적용하여 질병이 진행되는 단계에 따라 변화하는 단백질 상호작용 네트워크의 구조적, 기능적 특징에 대하여 분석하고자 한다. 우선, 유전자 발현데이터를 기반으로 각 질병의 진행 상태에 따른 부분 네트워크(정상, 초기, 중기, 말기)를 구축하였다. 이를 기반으로, 네트워크의 구조적 특성 분석을 수행하였다. 또한 기능적 특성 분석을 위해 유전자 군집(module)을 탐색하고, 군집별 유전자 기능(Gene Ontology) 분석을 수행했다. 그 결과, 네트워크의 특성들은 각 질병의 단계와 잘 대응되며, 동적 네트워크 분석법이 중요한 생물학적 이벤트를 설명하는데 이용될 수 있음을 보였다. 결론적으로 제안된 연구 방법을 통하여 그동안 알려지지 않았던 질병유발에 관련된 주요 네트워크 변화를 관측할 수 있고, 질병에 관여하는 복잡한 분자 수준의 발생 기작과 진행 과정을 이해하는데 중요한 정보를 획득할 수 있다.

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
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• 제50권11호
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• pp.5.1-5.14
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• 2018

Oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a sirtuin family protein located in mitochondria, is essential for mitochondrial homeostasis; however, the role of SIRT3 in the process of IVDD has remained elusive. Here, we explored the expression of SIRT3 in IVDD in vivo and in vitro; we also explored the role of SIRT3 in senescence, apoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis under oxidative stress. We subsequently activated SIRT3 using honokiol to evaluate its therapeutic potential for IVDD. We assessed SIRT3 expression in degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues and oxidative stress-induced nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). SIRT3 was knocked down by lentivirus and activated by honokiol to determine its role in oxidative stress-induced NPCs. The mechanism by which honokiol affected SIRT3 regulation was investigated in vitro, and the therapeutic potential of honokiol was assessed in vitro and in vivo. We found that the expression of SIRT3 decreased with IVDD, and SIRT3 knockdown reduced the tolerance of NPCs to oxidative stress. Honokiol ($10{\mu}M$) improved the viability of NPCs under oxidative stress and promoted their properties of anti-oxidation, mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy in a SIRT3-dependent manner. Furthermore, honokiol activated SIRT3 through the AMPK-PGC-$1{\alpha}$ signaling pathway. Moreover, honokiol treatment ameliorated IVDD in rats. Our study indicated that SIRT3 is involved in IVDD and showed the potential of the SIRT3 agonist honokiol for the treatment of IVDD.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.51-54
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• 2002

We propose a novel mechanism (Twist Sharing Mechanism) for the cis-trans photoisomerization of rhodopsin, based on the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study. New things devised in our simulations are (1) the adoption of Mt. Fuji potentials in the excited state for twisting of the three bonds C9=C10, C11=C12 and C13=14 which are modeled using the detailed ab initio quantum chemical calculations and (2) to use the rhodopsin structure which was resolved recently by the X-ray crystallographic study. As a result, we found the followings: Due to the intramolecular steric hindrance between 20-methyl and 10-H in the retinal chromophore, the C12-C13 and C10-C11 bonds are considerably twisted counterclockwise in rhodopsin, allowing only counterclockwise rotation of the C11 =C12 in the excited state. The movement of 19-methyl in rhodopsin is blocked by the surrounding three amino acids, Thr 118, Met 207 and Tyr 268, prohibiting the rotation of C9=C10. As a result only all-trans form of the chromophore is obtainable as a photoproduct. At the 90$^{\circ}$ twisting of C11=C12 in the course of photoisomerization, twisting energies of the other bonds amount to about 20 kcal/mol. If the transition state for the thermal isomerization is assumed to be similar to this structure, the activation energy for the thermal isomerization around C11=C12'in rhodopsin is elevated by about 20 kcal/mol and the thermal isomerization rate is decelerated by 10$\^$-14/ times than that of the retinal chromophore in solution, protecting photosignal from the thermal noise.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.723-730
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• 2007

Kinesin is an ATP-driven microtubule motor protein that plays important roles in control of microtubule dynamics, intracellular transport, cell division and signal transduction. The kinesin superfamily is composed of numerous members that are classified into 14 subfamilies. Animal kinesins have been well characterized. In contrast, plant kinesins have not yet to be characterized adequately. Here, a novel plant-specific kinesin gene, GhKCH2, has been cloned from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fibers and biochemically identified by prokaryotic expression, affinity purification, ATPase activity assay and microtubule-binding analysis. The putative motor domain of GhKCH2, $M_{396-734}$ corresponding to amino acids Q396-N734 was fused with 6$\times$His-tag, soluble-expressed in E. coli and affinity-purified in a large amount. The biochemical analysis demonstrated that the basal ATPase activity of $M_{396-734}$ is not activated by $Ca^{2+}$, but stimulated 30-fold max by microtubules. The enzymatic activation is microtubule-concentration-dependent, and the concentration of microtubules that corresponds to half-maximum activation was about 11 ${\mu}M$, much higher than that of other kinesins reported. The cosedimentation assay indicated that $M_{396-734}$ could bind to microtubules in vitro whenever the nucleotide AMP-PNP is present or absent. As a plant-specific microtubule-dependent kinesin with a lower microtubule-affinity and a nucleotide-independent microtubule-binding ability, cotton GhKCH2 might be involved in the function of microtubules during the deposition of cellulose microfibrils in fibers or the formation of cell wall.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.161-165
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• 2008

This study was performed for the purpose of monitoring monthly levels of two pathogenic microorganisms, Cryptosporidium and Giardia, from November 2005 to August 2007 in Sangsa Lake. Water temperatures, pH and DO fluctuated seasonally at the study site. Annual mean values of BOD, COD and SS were $0.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$, $2.3\;mg\;L^{-1}$ and $1.9\;mg\;L^{-1}$ respectively. Although there was distinct seasonal variation in water chemistry and chlorophyll $\underline{a}$ concentration, the lake generally contains low concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll $\underline{a}$. The relative abundance of coliform bacteria was always greater than that of fecal coliform. The fecal coliform bacteria comprised $8.5{\sim}22.1%$ of total coliform bacteria. Seasonal analysis of Cryptosporidium and Giardia levels in the study site showed that in winter (November through February), Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts were most abundant ($1.1{\sim}1.8\;{\times}\;10\;cells\;L^{-1}$ and $3.8{\sim}5.1\;{\times}\;10\;cells\;L^{-1}$, respectively), while in summer (July through September) the abundance was lowest ($0.0{\sim}0.3\;{\times}\;10\;cells\;L^{-1}$ and $0.9{\sim}2.9\;{\times}\;10\;cells\;L^{-1}$, respectively). Molecular identification revealed two subtypes of Cyrptosporidium parvum in Sangsa Lake.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.237-241
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• 2012

Embryonic genome activation (EGA) is the first major transition that occurs after fertilization, and entails a dramatic reprogramming of gene expression that is essential for continued development. Although it has been suggested that EGA in porcine embryos starts at the four-cell stage, recent evidence indicates that EGA may commence even earlier; however, the molecular details of EGA remain incompletely understood. The RNA polymerase II of eukaryotes transcribes mRNAs and most small nuclear RNAs. The largest subunit of RNA polymerase II can become phosphorylated in the C-terminal domain. The unphosphorylated form of the RNA polymerase II largest subunit C-terminal domain (IIa) plays a role in initiation of transcription, and the phosphorylated form (IIo) is required for transcriptional elongation and mRNA splicing. In the present study, we explored the nuclear translocation, nuclear localization, and phosphorylation dynamics of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain in immature pig oocytes, mature oocytes, two-, four-, and eight-cell embryos, and the morula and blastocyst. To this end, we used antibodies specific for the IIa and IIo forms of RNA polymerase II to stain the proteins. Unphosphorylated RNA polymerase II stained strongly in the nuclei of germinal vesicle oocytes, whereas the phosphorylated form of the enzyme was confined to the chromatin of prophase I oocytes. After fertilization, both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated RNA polymerase II began to accumulate in the nuclei of early stage one-cell embryos, and this pattern was maintained through to the blastocyst stage. The results suggest that both porcine oocytes and early embryos are transcriptionally competent, and that transcription of embryonic genes during the first three cell cycles parallels expression of phosphorylated RNA polymerase II.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제38권7호
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• pp.595-600
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• 2014

충돌시 부서져 사라지는 승화성 나노 탄환입자로 표면 위에 붙어있는 고체 나노입자를 가격하는 과정에서 탄환입자로부터 목표입자로의 운동에너지 전달특성을 분자동역학 전산모사 방법을 이용하여 해석하였다. 탄환입자는 이산화탄소로 이루어져있으며 탄환의 크기, 온도 및 발사속도를 바꿔가며 전산모사를 수행하였다. 탄환입자로부터 목표입자에 전달되는 운동에너지 전달비율은 탄환 속도와 크기에 관계없이 일정하였지만 탄환의 온도에 따라 민감하게 변하였는데, 이는 온도에 따른 탄환입자의 결합력의 변화에서 기인하는 것이었다. 동일조건의 아르곤 탄환에 비하여 이산화탄소 탄환의 에너지 전달효율은 약 2 배 정도이며, 여기에서 이산화탄소 탄환의 높은 세정성능이 비롯됨을 최초로 확인하였다.