• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.134-138
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• 2005

The design of ion channel targeted library is a valuable methodology that can aid in the selection and prioritization of potential ion channel-likeness for ion-channel-targeted bio-screening from large commercial available chemical pool. The differences of property profiling between the 93 ion-channel active compounds from MDDR and CMC database and the ACDSC compounds were classified by suitable descriptors calculated with preADME software. Through the PCA, clustering, and similarity analysis, the compounds capable of ion channel activity were defined in ACDSC compounds pool. The designed library showed a tendency to follow the property profile of ion-channel active compounds and can be implemented with great time and economical efficiencies of ligand-based drug design or virtual high throughput screening from an enormous small molecule space.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2017

This study aimed to investigate the morphology and reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of Centrocestus formosanus originating from 5 species of freshwater fish, i.e., Esomus metallicus, Puntius brevis, Anabas testudineus, Parambassis siamensis, and Carassius auratus, in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) and phylogeny based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) were performed. The results showed similar morphologies of adult C. formosanus from day 5 after infection in chicks. C. formosanus originated from 4 species of freshwater fish had the same number of circumoral spines on the oral sucker, except for those from C. auratus which revealed 34 circumoral spines. The phylogenetic tree obtained from SRAP profile and the combination of ITS2 and CO1 sequence showed similar results that were correlated with the number of circumoral spines in adult worms. Genetic variability of C. formosanus also occurred in different species of freshwater fish hosts. However, more details of adult worm morphologies and more sensitive genetic markers are needed to confirm the species validity of C. formosanus with 34 circumoral spines originating from C. auratus in the future.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2005

A gene coding a novel isoform of carbamyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS1) was cloned from a human testicular library. As shown by cDNA microarray hybridization, this gene was expressed at a higher level in human adult testes than in fetal testes. The full length of its cDNA was 3831 bp, with a 3149 bp open reading frame, encoding a 1050-amino-acid protein. The cDNA sequence was deposited in the GenBank (AY317138). Sequence analysis showed that it was homologous to the human CPS1 gene. The putative protein contained functional domains composing the intact large subunit of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, thus indicated it has the capability of arginine biosynthesis. A multiple tissue expression profile showed high expression of this gene in human testis, suggesting the novel alternative splicing form of CPS1 may be correlated with human spermatogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.665-670
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• 2012

The insect midgut epithelium is generally lined with a unique chitin and protein structure, the peritrophic membrane (PM), which facilitates food digestion and protects the gut epithelium. We used gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify the extracted proteins from the silkworm PM to obtain an in-depth understanding of the biological function of the silkworm PM components. A total of 305 proteins, with molecular weights ranging from 8.02 kDa to 788.52 kDa and the isoelectric points ranging from 3.39 to 12.91, were successfully identified. We also found several major classes of PM proteins, i.e. PM chitin-binding protein, invertebrate intestinal mucin, and chitin deacetylase. The protein profile provides a basis for further study of the physiological events in the PM of Bombyx mori.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.173-180
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• 2006

Microglial activation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of many brain disorders. Therefore, understanding the response of microglia to noxious stimuli may provide insights into their role in disorders such as stroke and neurodegeneration. Many genes involved in this response have been identified individually, but not systematically. In this regards, the microarray system permitted to screen a large number of genes in biological or pathological processes. Therefore, we used microarray technology to evaluate the effect of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) and reperfusion on gene expression in microglia under ischemia-like and activating conditions. Primary microglial cultures were prepared from postnatal mice brain. The cells were exposed to 4 hrs of OGD and 1 h of reperfusion at $37^{\circ}C$. Isolated mRNA were run on GeneChips. After OGD and reperfusion, ＞2-fold increases of 90 genes and ＞2-fold decrease of 41 genes were found. Among the genes differentially increased by OGD and reperfusion in microglia were inflammatory and immune related genes such as prostaglandin E synthase, $IL-1{\beta}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. Microarray analysis of gene expression may be useful for elucidating novel molecular mediators of microglial reaction to reperfusion injury and provide insights into the molecular basis of brain disorders.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.250-261
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• 2004

A novel method for ab initio prediction of protein tertiary structures, PROFESY (PROFile Enumerating SYstem), is introduced. This method utilizes secondary structure prediction information and fragment assembly. The secondary structure prediction of proteins is performed with the PREDICT method which uses PSI-BLAST to generate profiles and a distance measure in the pattern space. In order to predict the tertiary structure of a protein sequence, we assemble fragments in the fragment library constructed as a byproduct of PREDICT. The tertiary structure is obtained by minimizing the potential energy using the conformational space annealing method which enables one to sample diverse low lying minima of the energy function. We apply PROFESY for prediction of some proteins with known structures, which shows good performances. We also participated in CASP5 and applied PROFESY to new fold targets for blind predictions. The results were quite promising, despite the fact that PROFESY was in its early stage of development. In particular, the PROFESY result is the best for the hardest target T0161.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 2001

In the present study, we intended to investigate whether polycationic peptides including poly-L-lysine (PLL) and poly-L-arginine (PLA) specifically inhibit the mucin release and do not affect significantly the release of the other releasable glycoproteins with less molecular weight than mucin's from cultured airway goblet cells. Confluent primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled with 3H-glucosamine for 24 hr and chased for 30 min in the presence of varying concentrations of either poly-L-arginine (PLA) or poly-L-lysine (PLL) to assess the effects on 3H-mucin release and on the total elution profile of the treated culture medium. The results were as follows : (1) PLL 78,000, PLL 9,600 and PLA 8,900 inhibited mucin release in a dose-dependent manner; (2) These polycationic peptides did not inhibit the release of the other releasable glycoproteins with less molecular weights than mucin's. We conclude that these polycationic peptides 'specifically'inhibit mucin release from airway goblet cells. This finding suggests that these polycationic peptides might be used as a specific airway mucin-regulating agent.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.283-290
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• 2009

Differential gene expression profiling was performed in the hepatic tissue of marine medaka fish (Oryzias javanicus) after exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), by heterologous hybridization using a medaka cDNA microarray. Thirty-eight differentially expressed candidate genes, of which 23 were induced and 15 repressed (P<0.01), were identified and found to be associated with cell cycle, development, endocrine/reproduction, immune, metabolism, nucleic acid/protein binding, signal transduction, or non-categorized. The presumptive physiological changes induced by BaP exposure were identified after considering the biological function of each gene candidate. The results obtained in this study will allow future studies to assess the molecular mechanisms of BaP toxicity and the development of a systems biology approach to the stress biology of organic chemicals.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.307-312
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• 2001

In the course of Clonorchis sinensis infection, antigens presented to the hosts may be in a close relation to growth of the fluke. The antigenic proteins stimulating IgG antibody production were chronologically identified by immunoblot and localized by immunogistochemical staining. In the early stage of infection until 12 weeks post-infection (PI) , antigens were proteins with molecular mass larger than 34 kDa which were derived from the tegument, testes and intrauterine eggs. After 20 weeks PI antigens recognized were 29, 27 and 26 kDa proteins from the intestine, excretory bladder and reproductive organs. It is suggested that the tegumental proteins are the most potent antigens and the excretory-secretory proteins with middle molecular mass of 26-45 kDa contribute to the high level production of antibodies after 20 weeks of the C. sinensis infection.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.335-342
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• 1996

Porcine liver cysteinesulfinic acid decarboxylase was purified approximately 460-fold by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation and sequential column chromatographic separation with Sephadex G-100, DEAE-cellulose and hydroxylapatite. The enzyme has a flat pH profile with maximum activity occurring between pH 6.0 and 7.6. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate must be present in all buffers used for purification procedures in order to stabilize the enzyme. Addition of sulfhydryl reagents such as 2-mercaptoethanol are also necessary to maintain maximum enzyme activity throughout purification. The absorption spectrum shows that cysteinesulfinic acid decarboxylase is a pyridoxal 5' -phosphate-containing protein. The major absorption is at 280 nm with two smaller absorption regions, one at 425 nm which is ascribed to a Schiffs base between pyridoxal phosphate and protein, and another at 325 nm which is thought to be due to the interaction of 2-mercaptoethanol with the Schiffs base. A number of divalent cations tested did not affect enzyme activity with the exception of mercury, copper, and zinc which are inhibitory. The partially purified enzyme has an apparent $K_m$ of 0.94 mM for cysteinesulfinate. Cysteic acid is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme with a $K_i$ of 1.32 mM. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 79,600 by using Sephadex G-200 column chromatography.