• Title/Summary/Keyword: molecular flexibility

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Fabrication of Functional Nanomaterials by Peptide Self-Assembly

  • Park, Chan-Beom
    • Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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    • 2009.05a
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    • pp.8.1-8.1
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    • 2009
  • The self-assembly of peptide-based building blocks into nanostructures is an attractive route for fabricating novel materials because of their capacity for molecular recognition and functional flexibility as well as the mild conditions required in the fabrication process. Among various peptide-based building blocks forming nanostructures, the simplest building blocks are aromatic dipeptides like diphenylalanine, which can readily self-assemble into nanotubes in aqueous solutions at ambient conditions. Recently, we have developed a high-temperature solid-phase self-assembly process for diphenylalanine. Through this novel process, we succeeded in the growth of vertically well-aligned, uniform nanowires from amorphous peptide thin film. To demonstrate the versatility of our approach, we also fabricated a micropattern of peptide nanowires by combining our solid-phase growth method and simple soft lithographic techniques. We believe that our studies on peptide self-assembly will provide a new horizon for peptide-based nanofabrication.

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Engineering and Application of Zinc Finger Proteins and TALEs for Biomedical Research

  • Kim, Moon-Soo;Kini, Anu Ganesh
    • Molecules and Cells
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    • v.40 no.8
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    • pp.533-541
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    • 2017
  • Engineered DNA-binding domains provide a powerful technology for numerous biomedical studies due to their ability to recognize specific DNA sequences. Zinc fingers (ZF) are one of the most common DNA-binding domains and have been extensively studied for a variety of applications, such as gene regulation, genome engineering and diagnostics. Another novel DNA-binding domain known as a transcriptional activator-like effector (TALE) has been more recently discovered, which has a previously undescribed DNA-binding mode. Due to their modular architecture and flexibility, TALEs have been rapidly developed into artificial gene targeting reagents. Here, we describe the methods used to design these DNA-binding proteins and their key applications in biomedical research.

Durability of the Flexible Shape Memory Device (형상 기억 유연 소자의 내구성 평가에 관한 연구)

  • Yang, Hee-Kyung;Kim, Hae-Jin;Kim, Dae-Eun
    • Transactions of the Society of Information Storage Systems
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.36-40
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    • 2015
  • The demand for flexible devices including solar cells, memories and batteries has increased rapidly over the past decades. In most flexible devices, polymer-based materials are used to enable the mechanical deformations such as bending or folding. Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) is a high molecular compound polymer with flexibility and shape recovery characteristics. In this work, flexible shape memory device was fabricated by simply coating the conducting material, carbon nano-tube (CNT), on a shape memory polymer. Furthermore, durability of the device under various type of mechanical deformations was assessed. It is believed that the result of this work will aid in realization of a stretchable and wearable electronic device for practical applications.

The Thermal Properties of PVC-Ni Composite Materials

  • Moon, Tak-Jin;Kang Chang-Gyun
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.45-50
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    • 1985
  • The glass transition temperature, dynamic shear moduli, and bulk viscosities of PVC, filled with nickel particles, were investigated. The glass temperature of the composite increased with increasing filler concentration. The data were interpreted by assuming that the interaction between filler particles and the polymer matrix reduces molecular mobility and flexibility of the polymer chains in the vicinity of the interfaces. The relative modulus for the PVC/Ni composite system followed the Kerner equation. The relative viscosities were strongly temperature dependent and did not agree with the conventional viscosity predictions for suspensions. It is suggested that the filler has a twofold effect on the viscosity of the composite materials; one is due to its mechanical presence and the other is due to modification of part of the polymer matrix caused by interaction. This phenomenon is approximately bounded by Kerner's predictions for suspensions.

Conformation of Antifungal Agent Fluconazole

  • Han, Seong Jun;Kang Kee Long;Lee Sung Hee;Chung Uoo Tae;Kang Young Kee
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.262-265
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    • 1993
  • Conformational free energy calculations using an empirical potential function and a hydration shell model (program CONBIO) were carried out on antifungal agent fluconazole in the unhydrated and hydrated states. The initial geometry of fluconazole was obtained from two minimized fragments of it using a molecular mechanics MMPMI and followed by minimizing with a semiempirical AM1 method. In both states, the feasible conformations were obtained from the calculations of conformational energy, conformational entropy, and hydration free energy by varying all the torsion angles of the molecule. The intramolecular hydrogen bonds of isopropyl hydroxyl hydrogen and triazole nitrogens and the structural flexibility are of significant importance in stabilizing the conformations of fluconazole in both states. Hydration is proved to be one of the essential factors in stabilizing the overall conformation in aqueous solution. Two F atoms of phenyl ring are not identified as an essential key in determining the stable conformations and may be responsible for the interaction with the receptor of fluconazole.

Solution Structure of an Active Mini-Proinsulin, M2PI: Inter-chain Flexibility is Crucial for Insulin Activity

  • Cho, Yoon-Sang;Chang, Seung-Gu;Choi, Ki-Doo;Shin, Hang-Cheol;Ahn, Byung-Yoon;Kim, Key-Sun
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.33 no.2
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    • pp.120-125
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    • 2000
  • M2PI is an active single chain mini-proinsulin with a 9-residue linker containing the turn-forming sequence 'YPGDV' between the B- and A-chains, but which retains about 50% of native insulin receptor binding activity. The refolding efficiency of M2PI is higher than proinsulin by 20-40% at alkaline pH, and native insulin is generated by the enzymatic conversion of M2PI. The solution structure of M2PI was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The global structure of M2PI is similar to that of native insulin, but the flexible linker between the B- and A-chains perturbed the N-terminal A-chain and C-terminal B-chain. The helix in the N-terminal A-chain is partly perturbed and the ${\beta}$-turn in the B-chain is disrupted in M2PI. However, the linker between the two chains was completely disordered indicating that the designed turn was not formed under the experimental conditions (20% acetic acid). Considering the fact that an insulin analogue, directly cross-linked between the C-terminus of the B-chain and the N-terminus of the A-chain, has negligible binding activity, a flexible linker between the two chains is sufficient to keep binding activity of M2PI, but the perturbed secondary structures are detrimental to receptor binding.

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Study for Synthesis and Properties of Polyurethane Based on Polyester Polyol with Varying Hydroxyl Values for Automotive Pre-painted Metal Sheet Applications (자동차 선도장 강판용 폴리에스테르 폴리올 기반 폴리우레탄의 합성과 물성에 대한 연구)

  • Kang, Choong Yeol;Lee, Jae Young;Noh, Seung Man;Nam, Joon Hyun;Park, Jong Myung;Jung, Hyun Wook;Yu, Sang Soo
    • Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.34-42
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    • 2011
  • The roll coating process is well-known for completely replacement coating system with an existing wet paint process for automotive which has low productivity and is not environment-friendly process. It is very important to evaluate the curing behavior, corrosion resistance and processing property as well as rheological behavior in order to realize a film flexibility and hardness simultaneously. In this study, we have synthesized the polyester resin modified with hydroxyl values and molecular weight to apply the pre-painted system, and then evaluated the curing behavior, deep drawing, tensile strength and rheological properties. It was observed that N-0375-40 of 40 (mg KOH/mol) hydroxyl values showed the most suitable for flexibility, film hardness, and curing behavior.

Effect of Formability of Physical Properties of Polyester/Melamine Cured Coating Using Polycarbonate Diol with Various Molecular Weight (폴리카보네이트 분자량이 폴리에스터/멜라민 경화형도료의 도막 성형성 및 물성에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Yong-Hee;Moon, Je-Ik;Kim, Hyun-Joong;Lee, Jae-Young;Noh, Seung Man;Nam, Joon Hyun
    • Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.105-110
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    • 2011
  • Polyester/melamine cured coatings had been used for pre-primed coatings and pre-coated metal coatings, because it has good mechanical,chemical properties, and mar resistance. But it has weak points such as stiffness and low formability for making automotive components. Polyester had been synthesized using polycarbonate diol of long alkyl chain which can improve flexibility and formability which is one of the important factors for pre-coated steel sheets (PCM). In this study, strain and tensile strength were examined by the tensile test and formability was examined by the drawing test. Also, Those polyester resins were also measured by DMA to verify flexibility of cured coatings.

In Vitro Regeneration of Carcinogen Thioacetamide Treated Rat Hepatocytes (Thioacetamide처리한 백서간세포의 in vitro 상에서의 재분열)

  • Yoo, So-Young;Kim, Kyu-Won;Lee, Hye-Jeong;Choi, Yong-Chun
    • The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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    • v.32 no.3
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    • pp.399-406
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    • 1996
  • Thioacetamide is a non-genotoxic carcinogen, a protein modifying agent. It causes nucleolar hypertrophy in short term treatment. In the present work, thioacetamide treated hepatocytes were observed in vivo and in vitro conditions. After 7 day treatment of rat liver with thioacetamide, the hepatocyte nucleoli were enlarged and their signalling molecules such as B23 and p38 MAPK were increased. When these hepatocytes were released by collagenases and were grown under the conditions of gene therapy grade tissue culture system, the enlarged nucleoli were further enlarged. The B23 content was again increased under in vitro conditions. From these experiments, it is clear that the hepatocytes possess approximately 100 fold flexibility of nucleolar capacity. It is suggested that thioacetamide enhances the ribosome genesis and exaggerates the nucleologenesis ability.

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Structure and Bacterial Cell Selectivity of a Fish-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide, Pleurocidin

  • Yang Ji-Young;Shin Song-Yub;Lim Shin-Saeng;Hahm Kyung-Soo;Kim Yang-Mee
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.16 no.6
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    • pp.880-888
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    • 2006
  • Pleurocidin, an $\alpha$-helical cationic antimicrobial peptide, was isolated from skin mucosa of winter flounder (Pleuronectes americamus). It had strong antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but had very weak hemolytic activity. The Gly$^{13,17}\rightarrow$Ala analog (pleurocidin-AA) showed similar antibacterial activities, but had dramatically increased hemolytic activity. The bacterial cell selectivity of pleurocidin was confirmed through the membrane-disrupting and membrane-binding affinities using dye leakage, tryptophan fluorescence blue shift, and tryptophan quenching experiments. However, the non-cell-selective antimicrobial peptide, pleurocidin-AA, interacts strongly with both negatively charged and zwitterionic phospholipid membranes, the latter of which are the major constituents of the outer leaflet of erythrocytes. Circular dihroism spectra showed that pleurocidin-AA has much higher contents of $\alpha$-helical conformation than pleurocidin. The tertiary structure determined by NMR spectroscopy showed that pleurocidin has a flexible. structure between the long helix from $Gly^3$ to $Gly^{17}$ and the short helix from $Gly^{17}$ to $Leu^{25}$. Cell-selective antimicrobial peptide pleurocidin interacts strongly with negatively charged phospholipid membranes, which mimic bacterial membranes. Structural flexibility between the two helices may play a key role in bacterial cell selectivity of pleurocidin.