• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.10 no.E
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• pp.343-356
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• 1994

In this study, a statistical investigation was carried out for the evaluation of any relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHss) associated with ambient aerosols and other air quality parameters under varying meteorological conditions. Daily measurements for PAHs and air quality/meteorological parameters were selected from a data-base constructed by a comprehensive air monitoring in London during 1985-1987. Correlation coefficients were calculated to examine any significant relationship between the PAHs and other individual variables. Statistical analysis was further Performed for the air quality/meteorological data set using a principal component analysis to derive important factors inherent in the interactions among the variables. A total of six components were identified, representing vehicle emission, photochemical activity/volatilization, space heating, atmospheric humidity, atmospheric stability, and wet deposition. It was found from a stepwise multiple regression analysis that the vehicle emission component is overall the most important factor contributing to the variability of PAHs concentrations at the monitoring site. The photochemical activity/volatilzation component appeared to be also an important factor particularly for the lower molecular weight PAHs. In general, the space heating component was found to be next important factor, while the contributions of other three components to the variance of each PAHs did not appear to be as much important as the first three components in most cases. However, a consistency for these components in their negative correlations with PAHs data was found, indicating their roles in the depletion of PAHs concentrations in the urban atmosphere.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2011

During the last decade small regulatory RNA (srRNA) emerged as central players in the regulation of gene expression in all kingdoms of life. Multiple pathways for srRNA biogenesis and diverse mechanisms of gene regulation may indicate that srRNA regulation evolved independently multiple times. However, small RNA pathways share numerous properties, including the ability of a single srRNA to regulate multiple targets. Some of the mechanisms of gene regulation by srRNAs have significant effect on the abundance of free srRNAs that are ready to interact with new targets. This results in indirect interactions among seemingly unrelated genes, as well as in a crosstalk between different srRNA pathways. Here we briefly review and compare the major srRNA pathways, and argue that the impact of srRNA is always at the system level. We demonstrate how a simple mathematical model can ease the discussion of governing principles. To demonstrate these points we review a few examples from bacteria and animals.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.330-336
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• 2006

Since its identification in 1989, hepatitis C virus has been the subject of extensive research. The biology of the virus and the development of antiviral drugs are closely related. The RNA polymerase activity of nonstructural protein 5B was first demonstrated in 1996. NS5B is believed to localize to the perinuclear region, forming a replicase complex with other viral proteins. It has a typical polymerase structure with thumb, palm, and finger domains encircling the active site. A de novo replication initiation mechanism has been suggested. To date, many small molecule inhibitors are known including nucleoside analogues, non-nucleoside analogues, and pyrophosphate mimics. NS5B interacts with other viral proteins such as core, NS3, 4A, 4B, and 5A. The helicase activity of NS3 seems necessary for RNA strand unwinding during replication, with other nonstructural proteins performing modulatory roles. Cellular proteins interacting with NS5B include VAMP-associated proteins, heIF4AII, hPLIC1, nucleolin, PRK2, ${\alpha}$-actinin, and p68 helicase. The interactions of NS5B with these proteins might play roles in cellular trafficking, signal transduction, and RNA polymerization, as well as the regulation of replication/translation processes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1035-1039
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• 1998

Phase separation is the typical phenomenon in protein-polysaccharide mixtures because of thermodynamic incompatibility between two macromolecules. Phase separations of casein-alginate-water systems were investigated by using phase diagram under varying pH (6, 8 and 10) and NaCl concentrations (0, 0.25 and 0.5 M). Incompatibility decreased with increasing pH and decreasing NaCl concentration. Molecular weight of alginates did not significantly affect the phase diagram of casein-alginate-water systems. The results strongly suggested that compatibility of casein and alginate involved electrostatic interactions.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2014

Remorins, a family of plant-specific proteins containing a variable N-terminal region and conserved C-terminal domain, play a role in various biotic and abiotic stresses, including host-microbe interactions. However, their functions remain to be completely elucidated, especially for the Arabidopsis thaliana remorin group 4 (AtREM4). To elucidate the role of remorins in Arabidopsis, we first showed that AtREM4s have typical molecular characteristics of the remorins, such as induction by various types of biotic and abiotic stresses, localization in plasma membrane and homo- and hetero-oligomeric interaction. Next, we showed that their loss-of-function mutants displayed reduced susceptibility to geminiviruses, Beet Curly Top Virus and Beet Severe Curly Top Virus, while overexpressors enhanced susceptibility. Moreover, we found that they interacted with SnRK1, which phosphorylated AtREM4.1, and were degraded by the 26S proteasome pathway. These results suggest that AtREM4s may be involved in the SnRK1-mediated signaling pathway and play a role as positive regulators of the cell cycle during geminivirus infection.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.57-66
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• 2016

The gut epithelial barrier, which is composed of the mucosal layer and the intestinal epithelium, has multiple defense mechanisms and interconnected regulatory mechanisms against enteric microbial pathogens. However, many bacterial pathogens have highly evolved infectious stratagems that manipulate mucin production, epithelial cell-cell junctions, cell death, and cell turnover to promote their replication and pathogenicity in the gut epithelial barrier. In this review, we focus on current knowledge about how bacterial pathogens regulate mucin levels to circumvent the epithelial mucus barrier and target cell-cell junctions to invade deeper tissues and increase their colonization. We also describe how bacterial pathogens manipulate various modes of epithelial cell death to facilitate bacterial dissemination and virulence effects. Finally, we discuss recent investigating how bacterial pathogens regulate epithelial cell turnover and intestinal stem cell populations to modulate intestinal epithelium homeostasis.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.274-278
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• 2002

Discrete-variational(DV)-$X{\alpha}$ method was applied to investigate the electronic structures of spinel- type manganese oxide which is well known to the high performance adsorbent or cathode material for lithium ion. The results of DOS(density of states) and Mulliken population analysis showed that Li was nearly fully ionized and interactions between Mn and O were strong covalent bond. The effective charge of Li and Mn was +0.77 and +1.44 respectively and the overlap population between Mn and O was 0.252 in $LiMn_2O_4$. These results from DV-X$\alpha$ method were well coincided with the experimental result by XPS analysis and supported the feasibility of theoretical interpretation for the $LiMn_2O_4$ compound.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2012

Milk-derived bioactive peptides have been found to exhibit various physiological activities such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, antibacterial, and antioxidative effects. Bioactive peptides can be used in the formulation of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural drugs because of their beneficial effects. However, the degree of variability in the composition, functionality, and sensory properties of such peptides has greatly limited their use in the food industry. In this review, we discuss the main peptides obtained from milk proteins and summarize findings from previous studies on the production and biological activities of these peptides. In addition, we compare the methods used to separate and identify the structure of the bioactive peptides and highlight current investigations into engineering and implementation of technologies that would allow more efficient isolation of bioactive peptides for functional food production. To improve human health, further molecular biology studies will also be required to elucidate the complex network of interactions between food microorganisms and the digestive system.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2006

WRKY family proteins are a class of plant-specific transcription factors involved in stress response signaling pathways. In this study a gene encoding a putative WRKY protein was isolated from a pepper EST database (http://genepool.kribb.re.kr). The cDNA, named Capsicum annuum WRKY2 (CaWRKY2), encodes a putative polypeptide of 548 amino acids, containing two WRKY domains with zinc finger motifs and two potential nuclear localization signals. Northern blot analyses showed that CaWRKY2 mRNA was preferentially induced during incompatible interactions of pepper plants with PMMoV, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61, and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria race 3. Furthermore, CaWRKY2 transcripts were strongly induced by wounding and ethephon treatment, whereas only moderate expression was detected following treatment with salicylic acid and jasmonic acid. CaWRKY2 was translocated to the nucleus when a CaWRKY2-smGFP fusion construct was expressed in onion epidermal cells. CaWRKY2 also had transcriptional activation activity in yeast. Taken together our data suggest that CaWRKY2 is a pathogen-inducible transcription factor that may have a role in early defense responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.

• Proceeding of EDISON Challenge
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• 2015.03a
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• pp.151-155
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• 2015

The molecular interactions between the nucleic acid bases and water molecules are important in organism. Despite Adenine-Thymine Hoogsteen base pair and Guanine-Cytosine Watson-Crick base pair have been demonstrated to be most stable in a gas phase, the effect of water on the stability of these base pairs remains elusive. Here we report the structural and thermodynamic characteristics on possible Adenine-Thymine and Guanine-Cytosine base pairs in a gas phase as well as in an aqueous phase by using quantum mechanical method and statistical mechanical calculations. First, we optimized the direct base-pair interaction energies of four Adenine-Thymine base pairs (Hoogsteen base pair, reverse Hoogsteen base pair, Watson-Crick base pair, and reverse Watson-Crick base pair) and three Guanine-Cytosine base pairs (GC1 base pair, GC2 base pair, and Watson Crick base pair) in a gas phase at the $B3LYP/6-31+G^{**}$ level. Then, the effect of solvent was quantified by the electronic reorganization energy and the solvation free energy by statistical mechanical calculations. Thereby, we discuss the effect of water on the stability of Adenine-Thymine and Guanine-Cytosine base pairs, and argue why Adenine-Thymine Watson-Crick base pair and Guanine-Cytosine Watson-Crick base pair are most stable in an aqueous environment.