• Title/Summary/Keyword: molecular modification

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Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of epitranscriptome regulation in cancer

  • Han, Seung Hun;Choe, Junho
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.54 no.2
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    • pp.89-97
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    • 2021
  • Post-transcriptional regulation is an indispensable cellular mechanism of gene expression control that dictates various cellular functions and cell fate decisions. Recently, various chemical RNA modifications, termed the "epitranscriptome," have been proposed to play crucial roles in the regulation of post-transcriptional gene expression. To date, more than 170 RNA modifications have been identified in almost all types of RNA. As with DNA modification-mediated control of gene expression, regulation of gene expression via RNA modification is also accomplished by three groups of proteins: writers, readers, and erasers. Several emerging studies have revealed that dysregulation in RNA modification is closely associated with tumorigenesis. Notably, the molecular outcomes of specific RNA modifications often have opposite cellular consequences. In this review, we highlight the current progress in the elucidation of the mechanisms of cancer development due to chemical modifications of various RNA species.

Comparative Studies of Protein Modification Mediated by Fenton-like Reactions of Iron, Hematin, and Hemoglobin: Generation of Different Reactive Oxidizing Species

  • Kim, Young-Myeong;Kim, Sung-Soo;Kang, Gu;Yoo, Yeong-Min;Kim, Ki-Mo;Lee, Mi-Eun;Han, Jeong-A;Hong, Sun-Joo
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.161-169
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    • 1998
  • TThe reactive oxygen species oxidatively modify the biological macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Iron- and heme-mediated Fenton-like reactions produce different pro-oxidants. However, these reactive products have not been clearly characterized. We examined the nature of the oxidizing species from the different iron sources by measuring oxidative protein modification and spectroscopic study. Hemoglobin (Hb) and methemoglobin (metHb) were oxidatively modified in $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ and $H_{2}O_{2}$ generating systems. Globin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were also modified by iron, iron-EDTA, hematin, and Hb in an $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ generating system. In a $H_{2}O_{2}$ generating system, the iron- and iron-EDTA-mediated protein modifications were markedly reduced while the Hb-and hematin-mediated modifications were slightly increased. In the $O{\array-\\\dot{2}}$ generating system, the iron- and iron-EDTA-mediated protein modifications were strongly inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD) or catalase, but heme- and Hb-mediated protein modifications were inhibited only by catalase and slightly increased by SOD. Mannitol, 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), deoxyribose, and thiourea inhibited the iron-EDTA-mediated protein modification. Mannitol and DMPO, however, did not exhibit significant inhibition in the hematin-mediated modification. Desferrioxamine (DFO) inhibited protein modification mediated by iron, but cyanide and azide did not, while the hematin-mediated protein modification was inhibited by cyanide and azide, but not significantly by DFO. The protein-modified products by iron and heme were different. ESR and UV-visible spectroscopy detected the DMPO spin adduct of the hydroxyl radical and ferryl ion generated from iron-EDTA and metHb, respectively. These results led us to conclude that the main oxidizing species are hydroxyl radical in the iron-EDTA type and the ferry I ion in the hematin type, the latter being more effective for protein modification.

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Mussel-Inspired, Fast Surface Modification of Solid Substrates

  • Hong, Sang-Hyeon;Kang, Sung-Min;Lee, Hae-Shin
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2011.08a
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    • pp.201-201
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    • 2011
  • Recently, mussel-inspired surface modification, called polydopamine coating has been extensively implemented to many areas, due to its material versatility and ease to use. In particular, incubation of substrates in an alkaline dopamine solution resulted in self-polymerization of dopamine and modified variety of material surfaces, including noble metals, metal oxides, ceramics, and synthetic polymers. However, the polydopamine coating has a drawback to practical use; it takes more than 12 hrs to introduce sufficient polydopamine layers to solid substrates. Here, we investigated the rate-enhanced polydopamine coating by varying reaction conditions: pH, concentration, and the addition of the oxidizing agent. As a result, the optimum condition for fast polydopamine coating was found, and solid substrates were efficiently coated with polydopamine layers in just few minutes using the condition. The polydopamine-modified surface was characterized by XPS and contact angle goniometry, and the biocompatibility of the modified surface was also proved by cell attachment test.

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Epigenetic modification is linked to Alzheimer's disease: is it a maker or a marker?

  • Lee, Jung-Hee;Ryu, Hoon
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.43 no.10
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    • pp.649-655
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    • 2010
  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder and shows progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Intraneuronal filaments composed of aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau protein, called neurofibrillary tangles, along with extracellular accumulations of amyloid $\beta$ protein (A$\beta$), called senile plaques, are known to be the neuropathological hallmarks of AD. In light of recent studies, epigenetic modification has emerged as one of the pathogenic mechanisms of AD. Epigenetic changes encompass an array of molecular modifications to both DNA and chromatin, including transcription factors and cofactors. In this review, we summarize how DNA methylation and changes to DNA chromatin packaging by post-translational histone modification are involved in AD. In addition, we describe the role of SIRTs, histone deacetylases, and the effect of SIRT-modulating drugs on AD. Lastly, we discuss how amyloid precursor protein (APP) intracellular domain (AICD) regulates neuronal transcription. Our understanding of the epigenomes and transcriptomes of AD may warrant future identification of novel biological markers and beneficial therapeutic targets for AD.

Characterization of a novel posttranslational modification in polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins by SUMO1

  • Han, Wei;Wang, Lin;Yin, Bin;Peng, Xiaozhong
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.47 no.4
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    • pp.233-238
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    • 2014
  • Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1) and its brain-specific homologue, PTBP2, are associated with pre-mRNAs and influence pre-mRNA processing, as well as mRNA metabolism and transport. They play important roles in neural differentiation and glioma development. In our study, we detected the expression of the two proteins in glioma cells and predicted that they may be sumoylated using SUMOplot analyses. We confirmed that PTBP1 and PTBP2 can be modified by SUMO1 with co-immunoprecipitation experiments using 293ET cells transiently co-expressing SUMO1 and either PTBP1 or PTBP2. We also found that SUMO1 modification of PTBP2 was enhanced by Ubc9 (E2). The mutation of the sumoylation site (Lys137) of PTBP2 markedly inhibited its modification by SUMO1. Interestingly, in T98G glioma cells, the level of sumoylated PTBP2 was reduced compared to that of normal brain cells. Overall, this study shows that PTBP2 is posttranslationally modified by SUMO1.

Characteristics of the Inhibitory Action of Protease Inhibitors on the Glucose-6-phosphate Transporter

  • Choi, Joon-Sig;Shin, Jeong-Sook;Choi, Hong-Sug;Park, Jong-Sang
    • BMB Reports
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.157-161
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    • 1997
  • The present paper reports characteristics and specificity of the inhibitory action of $N^{\alpha}-tosyl-L-lysine-chloromethyl\;ketone$ (TLCK) and $N^{\alpha}-tosyl-L-phenylalanine-chloromethyl\;ketone$ (TPCK) on the glucose6-phosphate transporter of rat liver microsomes. The TLCK-induced inhibition was pH dependent. The inhibition constants for TPCK were determined by following pseudo-Lst order reaction mechanism. The inhibition was protected by preincubation with excess amount of glucose-6-phosphate. The results proved that (a) TLCK inactivates the microsomal glucose-6-phosphate transporter, (b) the inhibition results from the modification of sulfhydryl groups of the transporter.

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Bio-Inspired Surface Modification of 3-Dimensional Polycaprolactone Scaffold for Enhanced Cellular Behaviors

  • Jo, Seon-Ae;Gang, Seong-Min;Park, Su-A;Lee, Hae-Shin
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2011.08a
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    • pp.202-202
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    • 2011
  • The research of 3-dimensional (3-D) scaffold for tissue engineering has been widely investigated as the importance of the 3-D scaffold increased. 3-D scaffold is needed to support for cells to proliferate and maintain their biological functions. Furthermore, its architecture defines the shape of the new bone and cartilage growth. Polycaprolactone (PCL) has been one of the most promising materials for fabricating 3-D scaffold owing to its excellent mechanical property and biocompatibility. However, there are practical problems for using it, in vitro and in vivo; extracellular matrix components and nutrients cannot penetrate into the inner space of scaffold, due to its hydrophobic property, and thus cell seeding and attachment onto the inner surface remain as a challenge. Thus, the surface modification strategy of 3-D PCL scaffold is prerequisite for successful tissue engineering. Herein, we utilized a mussel-inspired approach for surface modification of 3-D PCL scaffold. Modification of 3-D PCL scaffolds was carried out by simple immersion of scaffolds into the dopamine solution and stimulated body fluid, and as a result, hydroxyapatite-immobilized 3-D PCL scaffolds were obtained. After surface modification, the wettability of 3-D PCL scaffold was considerably changed, and infiltration of the pre-osteoblastic cells into the 3-D scaffold followed by the attachment onto the surface was successfully achieved.

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