• BMB Reports
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.225-232
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• 2010

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Although the causative factors of PD remain elusive, many studies on PD animal models or humans suggest that glial activation along with neuroinflammatory processes contribute to the initiation or progression of PD. Additionally, several groups have proposed that dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) combined with infiltration of peripheral immune cells play important roles in the degeneration of DA neurons. However, these neuroinflammatory events have only been investigated separately, and the issue of whether these phenomena are neuroprotective or neurotoxic remains controversial. We here review the current knowledge regarding the functions of these neuroinflammatory processes in the brain. Finally, we describe therapeutic strategies for the regulation of neuroinflammation with the goal of improving the symptoms of PD.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권12호
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• pp.3542-3546
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• 2014

Relationship between molecular freedom of amyloidogenic protein and its self-assembly into amyloid fibrils has been evaluated with ${\alpha}$-synuclein, an intrinsically unfolded protein related to Parkinson's disease, by restricting its structural plasticity through an end-to-end disulfide bond formation between two newly introduced cysteine residues on the N- and C-termini. Although the resulting circular form of ${\alpha}$-synuclein exhibited an impaired fibrillation propensity, the restriction did not completely block the protein's interactive core since co-incubation with wild-type ${\alpha}$-synuclein dramatically facilitated the fibrillation by producing distinctive forms of amyloid fibrils. The suppressed fibrillation propensity was instantly restored as the structural restriction was unleashed with ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol. Conformational flexibility of the accreting amyloidogenic protein to pre-existing seeds has been demonstrated to be critical for fibrillar extension process by exerting structural adjustment to a complementary structure for the assembly.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.149-153
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• 2001

The electron transfer reaction is one of the most essential processes of life. Not only does it provide the means of transforming solar and chemical energy into a utilizable form for all living organisms, it also extends into a range of metabolic processes that support the life of a cell. Thus, it is of great interest to understand the physical basis of the rates and reduction potentials of these reactions. To identify the major determinants of reduction potentials in redox proteins, we have chosen the simplest electron transfer protein, rubredoxin, a small (52-54 residue) iron-sulfur protein family, widely distributed in bacteria and archaea. Rubredoxins can be grouped into two classes based on the correlation of their reduction potentials with the identity of residue 44; those with Ala44 (ex: Pyrococcus furiosus) have reduction potentials that are ∼50 mV higher than those with Va144 (ex: Clostridium pasteurianum). Based on the crystal structures of rubredoxins from C. pasteurianum and P. furiosus, we propose the identity of residue 44 alone determines the reduction potential by the orientation of the electric dipole moment of the peptide bond between 43 and 44. Based on 1.5 $\AA$ resolution crystal structures and molecular dynamics simulations of oxidized and reduced rubredoxins from C. pasteurianum, the structural rearrangements upon reduction suggest specific mechanisms by which electron transfer reactions of rubredoxin should be facilitated.

• 대한핵의학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.111-114
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• 2004

Molecular imaging provides a visualization of normal as well as abnormal cellular processes at a molecular or genetic level rather than at a anatomical level. Conventional medical imaging methods utilize the imaging signals produced by nonspecific physico-chemical interaction. However, molecular imaging methods utilize the imaging signals derived from specific cellular or molecular events. Because molecular and genetic changes precede anatomical change in the course of disease development, molecular imaging can detect early events in disease progression. in the near future, through molecular imaging we can understand basic mechanisms of disease, and diagnose earlier and, subsequently, treat earlier intractable diseases such as cancer, neuro-degenerative diseases, and immunologic disorders. In beginning period, nuclear medicine started as a molecular imaging, and has had a leading role in the field of molecular imaging. But recently molecular imaging has been rapidly developed. Besides nuclear imaging, molecular imaging methods such as optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging are emerging. Each imaging modalities have their advantages and weaknesses. The opportunities from molecular imaging look bright. We should try nuclear medicine continues to have a leading role in molecular imaging.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권8호
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• pp.932-938
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• 2007

The interaction between adherent molecules and gas molecules was modeled in molecular scale and simulated by the molecular dynamics method in order to understand the evaporation and removal processes of adherent molecules on metallic surface using high temperature gas flow. Methanol molecules were chosen as adherent molecules to investigate effects of adhesion quantify and gas molecular collisions because the industrial oil has too complex structures of fatty acid. The effects of adherent quantify, gas temperature and surface temperature for the evaporation rate of adherent molecules and the molecular removal mechanism were investigated and discussed in the present study. Evaporation and removal rates of adherent molecules from metallic surface calculated by the molecular dynamics method showed the similar dependence on surface temperature shown in the experimental results.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.121-128
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• 2006

The interaction between adherent molecules and gas molecules was modeled in the molecular scale and simulated by the molecular dynamics method in order to understand evaporation and removal processes of adherent molecules on metallic surface using high temperature gas flow. Methanol molecules were chosen as adherent molecules to investigate effects of adhesion quantity and gas molecular collisions because the industrial oil has too complex structures of fatty acid. Effects of adherent quantity, gas temperature, surface temperature and adhesion strength for the evaporation rate of adherent molecules and the molecular removal mechanism were investigated and discussed in the present study. Evaporation and removal rates of adherent molecules from metallic surface calculated by the molecular dynamics method showed the similar dependence on the surface temperature shown in the experimental results.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2011년도 제40회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.27-27
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• 2011

For the design of real applicable molecular devices, current-voltage properties through molecular nanostructures such as metal-molecule-metal junctions (molecular junctions) have been studied extensively. In thiolate monolayers on the gold electrode, the chemical bonding of sulfur to gold and the van der Waals interactions between the alkyl chains of neighboring molecules are important factors in the formation of well-defined monolayers and in the control of the electron transport rate. Charge transport through the molecular junctions depends significantly on the energy levels of molecules relative to the Fermi levels of the contacts and the electronic structure of the molecule. It is important to understand the interfacial electron transport in accordance with the increased film thickness of alkyl chains that are known as an insulating layer, but are required for molecular device fabrication. Thiol-tethered RuII terpyridine complexes were synthesized for a voltage-driven molecular switch and used to understand the switch-on mechanism of the molecular switches of single metal complexes in the solid-state molecular junction in a vacuum. Electrochemical voltammetry and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics are measured to elucidate electron transport processes in the bistable conducting states of single molecular junctions of a molecular switch, Ru(II) terpyridine complexes. (1) On the basis of the Ru-centered electrochemical reaction data, the electron transport rate increases in the mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of Ru(II) terpyridine complexes, indicating strong electronic coupling between the redox center and the substrate, along the molecules. (2) In a low-conducting state before switch-on, I-V characteristics are fitted to a direct tunneling model, and the estimated tunneling decay constant across the Ru(II) terpyridine complex is found to be smaller than that of alkanethiol. (3) The threshold voltages for the switch-on from low- to high-conducting states are identical, corresponding to the electron affinity of the molecules. (4) A high-conducting state after switch-on remains in the reverse voltage sweep, and a linear relationship of the current to the voltage is obtained. These results reveal electron transport paths via the redox centers of the Ru(II) terpyridine complexes, a molecular switch.

• 대한핵의학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.115-120
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• 2004

Molecular imaging is a rapidly growing field due to the advances in molecular biology and imaging technologies. With the introduction of imaging reporter genes into the cell, diverse cellular processes can be monitored, quantified and imaged non-invasively in vivo. These precesses include the gene expression, protein-protein interactions, signal transduction pathways, and monitoring of cells such as cancer cells, immune cells, and stem cells. In the near future, molecular imaging analysis will allow us to observe the incipience and progression of the disease. These will make us easier to give a diagnosis in the early stage of intractable diseases such as canter, neuro-degenerative disease, and immunological disorders. Additionally, molecular imaging method will be a valuable tool for the real-time evaluation of cells in molecular biology and the basic biological studies. As newer and more powerful molecular imaging tools become available, it will be necessary to corporate clinicians, molecular biologists and biochemists for the planning, interpretation, and application of these techniques to their fullest potential. in order for such a multidisciplinary team to be effective, it is essential that a common understanding of basic biochemical and molecular biologic techniques is achieved. Basic molecular techniques for molecular imaging methods are presented in this paper.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.223-233
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• 1998

Molecular chaperone의 발견은 생명과학자들에게 살아있는 세포 내에서 어떻게 생체활성단백질이 만들어지고 유지되는지에 대한 자극과 함께 그것을 증명하기 위한 실험동기를 부여하였다. 초기에는 Molecular chaperone이 nucleosomes의 assembly에 관여하는 단백질을 설명하기 위하여 사용되었으나, 지금은 기본적인 세포생리기능의 하나인 단백질의 folding과 assembly를 돕는 assistant protein으로 주로 사용된다. 단백질합성 뿐만 아니라 단백질수송, oligomeric structure의 assembly와 disassembly, heat shock을 포함한 각종 내, 외부스트래스에 의해서 변성된 단백질의 세로내분화와 회복에도 Molecular chaperone이 관여하고 있다. 그러나 아직까지는 Molecular chaperone들의 3차구조와 그들간의 상호작용에 관한 정보가 부족하여 크게 진전되지 못하고 있지만, 많은 연구자에 의한 정보축적으로 인하여 빠른 시일 내에 Molecular chaperone에 세포내역할이 분명하게밝혀질 것이다.

• 반도체디스플레이기술학회지
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.47-51
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• 2011

We investigated the substrate surface polishing by the spherical rigid abrasive under the compression using classical molecular dynamics modeling. We performed three-dimensional molecular dynamic simulations using the Morse potential functions for the various slide-to-roll ratios, from 0 to 1, and then, the compressive forces acting on the spherical rigid abrasive were calculated as functions of the time and the slide-to-roll ratio. The friction coefficients obtained from the classical molecular dynamics simulations were compared to those obtained from the experiments; and found that the molecular dynamic simulation results with the slide-to-roll ratio of 0 value were in good agreement with the experimental results.