• KSBB Journal
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.9-15
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• 2012

Antimicrobial peptides are widely used in various organisms as a defense system against infection. The peptides are lethal towards bacteria and fungi, however have minimal toxicity in mammalian and plant cells. In this aspect, it is considered that antimicrobial peptides are new alternative materials for defensing against microbial infection. Here, we describe overall characteristics of antimicrobial peptides based on the mechanism of action, classification of the peptides, report detection/screening methods and chemical/biological production. It is expected that understanding of innate immune system based on antimicrobial peptides tends to develop novel natural antimicrobial agents, which might be applied for defensing pathogenic microorganisms resistant to conventional antibiotics.

• 한국응용곤충학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.321-325
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• 1996

누에에서 새로운 항세균성 펩타이드 유전자를 탐색하기 위하여 E. coli K12로 체강 주사한 누에 유충의 cDNA 유전자 은행에서 차별화 선별로, 잠재 항세균성 펩타이드 유전자로 추정되는 BmInc8 클론을 분리하였다. BmInc8은 564bp의 크기를 가지며, 59개 아미노산을 coding하는 open reading frame과 2개의 잠정 폴리아데닐화 부위를 보유하고 있었다. BmInc8은 M. sexta에서 분리, 보고된 bactericidine 유전자와 61.2%의 DNA 상동성을 나타내는 것으로, 그 연역된 펩타이드 구조는 항세균성 펩타이드의 일종인 cecropin과 유사한 2가닥의 $\alpha$-helix가 Lysine-Proline 경첩부위에 의해 포개져 있는 형태를 갖는 것으로 추정되었다. 또한 cDNA 삽입 부위의 기능성 검정을 위해 원핵 발현벡터인 pT7-5를 이용하여 E. coli BL21(DE3) 균주에 형질전환하고 IPTG로 induction한 결과 E. coli BL21(DE3) 균주의 성장이 정지됨을 관찰할 수 있었다. 이상의 결과로 BmInc8은 DNA 상동성 비교, 연역 아미노산의 구조 추정 및 cDNA 삽입 부위를 이용한 transient expression 결과 항세균성 펩타이드를 coding하는 유전자임을 추정할 수 있었다. 또한 Bminc8의 cDNA 유전자 정보를 GenBank에 등록하였으며 등록 번호는 U30289이었다.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.169-176
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• 2014

A positional scanning synthetic peptide combinatorial library (PS-SCL) was screened in order to identify antimicrobial peptides against the cariogenic oral bacteria, Streptococcus mutans. Activity against Streptococcus gordonii and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was also examined. The library was comprised of six sub-libraries with the format $O_{(1-6)}XXXXX-NH_2$, where O represents one of 19 amino acids (excluding cysteine) and X represents equimolar mixture of these. Each sub-library was tested for antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against S. gordonii and A. actinomycetemcomitans. The effect of peptides was observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two semi-mixture peptides, RXXXXN-$NH_2$ (pep-1) and WXXXXN-$NH_2$ (pep-2), and one positioned peptide, RRRWRN-$NH_2$ (pep-3), were identified. Pep-1 and pep-2 showed significant antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria (S. mutans and S. gordonii), but not against Gram negative bacteria (A. actinomycetemcomitans). However, pep-3 showed very low antimicrobial activity against all three bacteria. Pep-3 did not form an amphiphilic ${\alpha}$-helix, which is a required structure for most antimicrobial peptides. Pep-1 and pep-2 were able to disrupt the membrane of S. mutans. Small libraries of biochemically-constrained peptides can be used to generate antimicrobial peptides against S. mutans and other oral microbes. Peptides derived from such libraries may be candidate antimicrobial agents for the treatment of oral microorganisms.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.133-137
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• 2003

Secreted proteins and membrane proteins play key roles in the formation, differentiation, and maintenance of multicellular organisms. In this study, we undertook to characterize these protein types in the central nervous system of the marine snail Aplysia kurodai using a yeast-based signal sequence trap method. One hundred and three cDNA clones were obtained by screening 300,000 clones from the signal sequence trap cDNA library. Of these, twelve were identical to previously identified Aplysia genes, 19 were related to known proteins in other organisms, and 54 clones were novel. These 54 new genes had high signal peptide scores or were found likely to contain a transmembrane domain sequence. Only 18 of the 103 clones proved to be false positive. The study demonstrates that the signal sequence trap method is an effective tool for Isolating Aplysia genes encoding secreted and membrane proteins.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.709-716
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• 2006

Mammalian polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) acts at various stages in early and late mitosis. Plk1 localizes at the centrosome and maintains this position through mitosis. Thereafter Plk1 moves to the kinetochore and midbody region, important sites during chromosome separation and cytokinesis. The catalytic domain of Plk1 is in the N-terminus region, whereas the non-catalytic region in the C-terminus of Plk1 has a conserved motif, named the Polobox. This motif is critical for Plk localization. EGFP proteins fused with the N-terminus and C-terminus of Plk1 localize in the nucleus and centrosomes, respectively. The core sequences of the polo-box (50 amino acids) also localize in Plk1 target organelles. To screen for domain-specific target proteins of Plk1, we constructed an N-terminal domain and a tandem repeat polo-box motif, and used them as templates in a yeast two-hybrid screen. The HeLa cell cDNA library indicated several proteins including the centrosome/kinetochore components or regulators, to be characterized as positive clones. Through in vitro protein binding analyses, we confirmed an interaction between these proteins and Plk1. The data reported from this study indicate that the N- and C- termini of Plk1 may function through recruitment and/or activation of domain-specific target proteins in dividing cells. Additionally, tandem repeats of the conserved core motif of the polo-box are sufficient for targeting and may be useful as a centrosome/kinetochore-specific targeting peptide.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.151-158
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• 2006

Khal was a synthetic congener of halocidin, a heterodimeric peptide consisting of 19 and 15 amino acid residues detected in Halocynthia aurantium. This compound was considered a candidate for the development of a novel peptide antibiotic. The genotoxicity of Khal was subjected to high throughput toxicity screening (HTTS) because they revealed strong antibacterial effects. Mouse lymphoma thymidine kinase ($tk^{+/-}$) gene assay (MOLY), single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay and chromosomal aberration assay in mammalian cells and Ames reverse mutation assay in bacterial system were used as simplified, inexpensive, short-term in vitro screening tests in our laboratory. These compounds are not mutagenic in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. Before performing the comet assay, $IC_{20}$ of Khal was determined the concentration of $25.51\;{\mu}/mL\;and\;21.99\;{\mu}g/mL$ with and without S-9, respectively. In the comet assay, Khal was not induced DNA damage in mouse lymphoma cell line. Also, the mutation frequencies in the Khal-treated cultures were similar to the vehicle controls. It is suggests that Khal is non-mutagenic in MOLY assay. And no clastogenicity was observed in Khal-treated Chinese hamster lung cells. The results of this battery of assays indicate that Khal has no genotoxic potential in bacterial or mammalian cell systems. Therefore, we suggest that Khal, as the optimal candidates with both no genotoxic potential and antibacterial effects must be chosen.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.187-196
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• 1978

미생물이 하는 생산하는 대사길항물질을 screening 한 결과 최소검정배지상에서 Gram 양성균과 Gram 음성균에 다같이 강한 항균작용을 나타내고 L-aspar tic acid와 L-g1utamic acid에 의하여 길항당하는 물질 N-2292를 생산하는 방선균을 분리하였다. 본 생산균을 분류동정한 결과, Streptomyces albulus 로 보거나 혹은 그 유연균으로 동정하였다. N-2292물질의 배양조건을 검토하여 최적조건에서 대량 배양하고 주로 ion 교환수지, Dowex 50을 사용하여 활성물질을 분리정제하였으며 배양액 약 10ι에서 약 40mg의 백색분말을 얻었다. 본물질은 그 의 이화학적 성질로 보아 indole 화합물을 함유하는 peptide 양 물질임을 추정할 수가 있었다. 생물학적 성질은 최소검정배지상에서 Gram 양성 및 Gram 음성세균에 항균력을 나타냈다. 이러한 항균력은 L-Asp. 및 L-Glu.의 첨가에 의해서 조해당하였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제16권11호
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• pp.1784-1790
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• 2006

Bacillus anthracis is a causative agent of anthrax. Anthrax toxins are composed of a protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF), in which the PA is a central mediator for the delivery of the two enzymatic moieties LF and EF. Therefore, the PA has been an attractive target in the prevention and vaccinization for anthrax toxin. Recently, it has been reported that the molecule consisting of multiple copies of PA-binding peptide, covalently linked to a flexible polymer backbone, blocked intoxification of anthrax toxin in an animal model. In the present study, we have screened novel diverse peptides that bind to PA with a high affinity (picomolar range) from an M13 peptide display library and characterized the binding regions of the peptides. Our works provide a basis to develop novel potent inhibitors or diagnostic probes with a diverse polyvalence.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.137-145
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• 2016

This study screened the biological activity of an acidified gill extract of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum including antimicrobial, hemolytic, membrane permeabilization, and DNA-binding activity, and purified the antimicrobial material. The acidified gill extract showed potent antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli without significant hemolytic activity, but showed no membrane permeabilization or DNA-binding ability. An antimicrobial material was purified from the acidified gill extract using C₁₈ reversed-phase and cation-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Treatment of the purified material with trypsin completely abolished all of the antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, suggesting that the purified material is a proteinaceous antibiotic. The molecular weight of the purified material was 2571.9 Da, but no primary structural information was obtained due to N-terminal blocking. A future study should confirm the primary structure. Our results suggest that the Manila clam gill contains proteinaceous antibiotics that have a role in first-line defense. This information could be used to better understand the Manila clam innate immune system.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.158-164
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• 2014

Substance P and neuropeptide Y were discovered as early diagnostic biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction in Korean patients and confirmed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We screened 12 peptides from the sera of Korean acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients and detected 3 peptides (neuropeptide Y, substance P, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) to be elevated from patients' sera by liquid chromatography mass/mass spectrometry. The elevated concentration of 3 peptides was confirmed by ELISA. The screening results revealed the substance P, neuropeptide Y, and pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (47-76) concentrations were higher in patients' sera than in healthy controls. The sensitivity and specificity of substance P for AMI diagnostic marker were 80% and 83%, respectively, and those of neuropeptide Y were 87% and 90%, respectively compared to healthy controls. These results suggest that substance P and neuropeptide Y could be used as early diagnostic biomarkers in patients with AMI.