• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.119-123
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• 2013

Methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (salsolinol), an endogenous neurotoxin, is known to perform a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we evaluated oxidative modification of cytochrome c occurring after incubation with salsolinol. When cytochrome c was incubated with salsolinol, protein aggregation increased in a dose-dependent manner. The formation of carbonyl compounds and the release of iron were obtained in salsolinol-treated cytochrome c. Salsolinol also led to the release of iron from cytochrome c. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers and iron specific chelator inhibited the salsolinol-mediated cytochrome c modification and carbonyl compound formation. It is suggested that oxidative damage of cytochrome c by salsolinol might induce the increase of iron content in cells, subsequently leading to the deleterious condition which was observed. This mechanism may, in part, provide an explanation for the deterioration of organs under neurodegenerative disorders such as PD.

• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.9 no.1_2
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• pp.26-30
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• 2008

This study examined the surface modification characteristics of NBR using sealing in automobile. Surfaces of NBR were modified by RF power Ar plasma treatment. In experiment, pressure, flux, temperature were fixed and RF bias voltage. Treatment time was changed. In friction test, we used PTFE grease. After modification, surfaces of NBR showed many grooves, hydrophilic functional groups, and lipophilic functional groups. As increasing treating voltage and time, the amount of them was increased. And wetting angle and friction coefficient was decreased with increasing treating voltage and time. However, the pattern of changing friction coefficient was not fixed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.125-129
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• 2007

Neurofilament-L (NF-L) is a major element of the neuronal cytoskeleton and is essential for neuronal survival. Moreover, abnormalities in NF-L result in neurodegenerative disorders. Carnosine and the related endogeneous histidine dipeptides prevent protein modifications such as oxidation and glycation. In the present study, we investigated whether histidine dipeptides, carnosine, homocarnosine, or anserine protect NF-L against oxidative modification during reaction between cytochrome c and $H_2O_2$. Carnosine, homocarnosine and anserine all prevented cytochrome c/$H_2O_2$-mediated NF-L aggregation. In addition, these compounds also effectively inhibited the formation of dityrosine, and this inhibition was found to be associated with the reduced formations of oxidatively modified proteins. Our results suggest that carnosine and histidine dipeptides have antioxidant effects on brain proteins under pathophysiological conditions leading to degenerative damage, such as, those caused by neurodegenerative disorders.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.70-74
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• 2022

Tannic acid, one of plant-derived polyphenols, has been studied as a molecular adhesive, surface modification, energy storage and generating device, and biomedical application as it can interact with biopolymers. In this study, we synthesized porous silica nanoparticles that are widely used in biomedical engineering fields such as drug delivery and bioimaging, and then analyzed tannic acid mediated surface modification of mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2009.08a
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• pp.352-352
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• 2009

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2014

ADP-ribosylation is a type of posttranslational modification catalyzed by members of the poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase superfamily. ADP-ribosylation is initiated by PARPs, recognized by PAR binding proteins, and removed by PARG and other ADP-ribose hydrolases. These three groups of proteins work together to regulate the cellular and molecular response of PAR signaling, which is critical for a wide range of cellular and physiological functions.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.568-571
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• 1998

The conformations of human insulin precursors, proinsulin and preproinsulin, are described in terms of molecular dynamics simulations. Despite the presence of the C-peptide and/or the signal peptide, molecular dynamics calculations utilizing the hydration shell model over a period of 500 ps indicate that the native conformations of the A and B chains are well conserved in both cases. These results further support the NMR spectroscopy results that the C-peptide is relatively disordered and does not influence the overall conformation of the native structure. The robustness of the native structure as demonstrated by experiment and simulation will permit future protein engineering applications, whereby the expression or purification yields can be improved upon sequence modification of the C-peptide and/or the signal peptide.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.604-611
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• 2012

Recent advances in genome and transcriptome analysis have enabled identification of numerous members of a new class of noncoding RNA, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). lncRNAs are broadly defined as RNA molecules greater than 200 nt in length and lacking an open reading frame. Recent studies provide evidence that lncRNAs play central roles in a wide range of cellular processes through interaction with key component proteins in the gene regulatory system, and that alteration of their cell- or tissue-specific expression and/or their primary or secondary structures is thought to promote cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. The biological and molecular characteristics of the large majority of lncRNAs remains unknown, and it is anticipated that improved understanding of the roles played by lncRNAs in cancer will lead to the development of novel biomarkers and effective therapeutic strategies.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2007

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), synthesized in the hypothalamus, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of vertebrate reproduction. Since molecular isoforms of GnRH and their receptors (GnRHR) have been isolated in a broad range of vertebrate species, GnRH and GnRHR provide an excellent model for understanding the molecular co-evolution of a peptide ligand-receptor pair. Vertebrate species possess multiple forms of GnRH, which have been created through evolutionary mechanisms such as gene/chromosome duplication, gene deletion and modification. Similar to GnRHs, GnRH receptors (GnRHR) have also been diversified evolutionarily. Comparative ligand-receptor interaction studies for non-mammalian and mammalian GnRHRs combined with mutational mapping studies of GnRHRs have aided the identification of domains or motifs responsible for ligand binding and receptor activation. Here we discuss the molecular basis of GnRH-GnRHR co-evolution, particularly the structure-function relationship regarding ligand selectivity and signal transduction of mammalian and non-mammalian GnRHRs.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.423-434
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• 2013

The adoption of oligonucleotide aptamer is well on the rise, serving an ever increasing demand for versatility in biomedical field. Through the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment), aptamer that can bind to specific target with high affinity and specificity can be obtained. Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acid molecules that can fold into complex three-dimensional structures, forming binding pockets and clefts for the specific recognition and tight binding of any given molecular target. Recently, aptamers have attracted much attention because they not only have all of the advantages of antibodies, but also have unique merits such as thermal stability, ease of synthesis, reversibility, and little immunogenicity. The advent of novel technologies is revolutionizing aptamer applications. Aptamers can be easily modified by various chemical reactions to introduce functional groups and/or nucleotide extensions. They can also be conjugated to therapeutic molecules such as drugs, drug containing carriers, toxins, or photosensitizers. Here, we discuss new SELEX strategies and stabilization methods as well as applications in drug delivery and molecular imaging.