• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.49-57
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• 1994

The objective of this study was to determine whether Pz-peptide, an enhancer of hydrophilic solute permeability in the intestine, could elevate the paracellular permeability of the cornea and conjunctiva in the pigmented rabbit. The in vitro penetration of four hydrophilic solutes, mannitol (MW 182), fluorescein (MW 376), FD-4 (FITC-dextran, 4 KDa), and FD-10 (FITC-dextran, 10 KDa) across the pigmented rabbit cornea and conjunctiva was studied either in the presence or absence of 3 mM enhancers. Drug penetration was evaluated using the modified Ussing chamber. The conjunctiva was more permeable than the cornea to all four markers. EDTA and cytochalasin B showed higher effects on marker transport than Pz-peptide, but Pz-peptide elevated the corneal transport of mannitol, fluoresein, and FD-4 by 50%, 26%, and 50%, respectively, without affecting FD-10 transport. Possibly due to the leakier nature of the conjunctiva, 3 mM Pz-peptide elevated the transport of only FD-4 by about 45%, without affecting the transport of other markers. Furthermore, the transport of Pz-peptide itself across the cornea and conjunctiva increased with increasing concentration in the 1-5 mM range, suggesting that Pz-peptide enhanced its own permeability, possibly by elevating paracellular permeability. Effects of ion transport inhibitors on Pz-peptide transport were then investigated. PZ-peptide penetration was not changed by mucosal addition of $10\;{\mu}M$ amiloride or $10\;{\mu}M$ hexamethylene amiloride, inhibiting serosal $Na^{+}$ exit by $100\;{\mu}M$ ouabain, or replacing $Na^{+}$ with choline chloride in the mucosal side buffer. These results seggested that Pz-peptide enhanced the paracellular permeability of rabbit cornea and conjunctiva and further indicate that ion transporters were not involved in the Pz-peptide induced elevation of paracellular marker permeability.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 1996

The objective of this study was to determine whether 4-phenylazobezyloxycarbonyl-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-D-Arg (Pz-peptide), an enhancer of hydrophilic solute permeability in the intestine, could elevate the paracellular permeability of hydrophilic drugs across cornea and conjunctiva in the rabbit. The in-vitro penetration of hydrophilic drugs (mannitol, atenolol) and lipophilic drug (propranolol) across the rabbit cornea and conjunctiva was studied either in the presence or absence of 3 mM Pz-peptide. Drug penetration was evaluated using the modified Ussing chamber. The conjunctiva was more permeable than the cornea to all drugs. Pz-peptide showed enhanced effects on the drug transport across cornea and conjunctiva in a concentration dependent manner. Effects or ion transport inhibitor on the mannitol penetration were then investigated. Mannitol penetration was not changed by serosal addition of $100\;{\mu}M$ ouabain, suggesting that $Na^+/K^+$ ion tranporter was not involved in the Pz-peptide induced elevation of paracellular drug permeability. Furthermore, effects of Pz-peptide and EDTA on the transport of atenolol and propranolol into the ocular tissues or blood circulation after its administration into both eyes were investigated. EDTA showed enhanced effect on propranolol transport into the ocular tissues, but Pz-peptide did not show significant difference. Systemic absorption of propranolol by the addition of EDTA or Pz-peptide was not changed. On the other hand, EDTA and Pz-peptide elavated the atenolol transport into the ocular tissues. The transport of atenolol into the blood circulation was also enhanced by the addition of EDTA, but no effect was observed by the addition of Pz-peptide. The above findings suggest that Pz-peptide would be used as an paracellular pathway enahncer of hydrophilic drugs into the eye, without affecting the systemic absortion of topically applied opthalmic drugs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.899-902
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• 2005

Peptide assimilation by Helicobacter pylori was investigated using L-phenylalanyl-3-thia-phenylalanine (PSP) as a detector peptide; the release of thiophenol upon enzymatic hydrolysis of PSP was spectrophotometrically detected with the aid of 5,5'-dithiobis[2-nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB). By adding PSP to whole-cell suspension, thiophenol was produced progressively, resembling that found in Esherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus. Interestingly, the rate of thiophenol production by H pylori in particular was markedly reduced when cells were pretreated with trypsin, indicating surface exhibition of peptidase. According to the competitive spectrophotometry using alanyl-peptides, H pylori did not appear to assimilate PSP through the peptide transport system. No discernible PSP assimilation could be ascertained in H pylori cells, unless provided with some additives necessary for peptidase activity, such as $Ni^{2+}\;or\;Mg^{2+}$ and an appropriate concentration of potassium or ammonium salts. These observations strongly suggest that, regardless of a presumptive peptide transport system, peptide assimilation of H. plori appears to be highly dependent upon milieu conditions, due to unique peptidase exhibition on the cell surface.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1629-1633
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• 2015

Peptide assimilation in Helicobacter pylori necessitates a coordinated working of the peptide transport systems (PepTs) and aminopeptidase (PepA). We found that H. pylori hydrolyzes two detector peptides, _L-phenylalanyl- _L-3-thiaphenylalanine (PSP) and _L-phenylalanyl- _L-2-sulfanilylglycine (PSG), primarily before intake and excludes their antibacterial effects, whereas Escherichia coli readily transports them with resultant growth inhibition. PSP assimilation by H. pylori was inhibited by aminopeptidase inhibitor bestatin, but not by dialanine or cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone, contrary to that of E. coli. RT- and qRT-PCR analyses showed that H. pylori may express first the PepTs (e.g., DppA and DppB) and then PepA. In addition, western blot analysis of PepA suggested that the bacterium secretes PepA in response to specific inducers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 1996

Portage kinetic constants of peptide transport can be measured by competitive spectrophotometry. The kinetic constants of L-Glu-L-Glu transport in Escherichia coli were ascertained using L-Phe-L-3-thia-Phe (PSP) as a detector. Since the production of thiophenol upon intracellular hydrolysis of PSP was competitively inhibited by L-Glu-L-Glu, it was able to compute the kinetic constants of L-Glu-L-Glu using this method. The resulted data were in agreement with the values obtained by the method of Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The potential of this method was examined against dipeptide transport systems in various microorganisms. These results strongly suggest that the overall properties of individual systems for dipeptide transports can be easily characterized by competitive spectrophotometry.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.466-472
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• 2023

Exon skipping is an efficient technique to inhibit specific gene expression induced by a short-sequence peptide nucleic acid (PNA). To date, there has been no study on the effects of PNA on skin pigmentation. In melanocytes, the tripartite complex is responsible for the transport of mature melanosomes from the nucleus to the dendrites. The tripartite complex is composed of Rab27a, Mlph (Melanophilin), and Myosin Va. Defects in the protein Mlph, a melanosome transport-related protein, are known to cause hypopigmentation. Our study shows that Olipass peptide nucleic acid (OPNA), a cell membrane-permeable PNA, targets exon skipping in the Mlph SHD domain, which is involved in Rab27a binding. Our findings demonstrate that OPNA induced exon skipping in melan-a cells, resulting in shortened Mlph mRNA, reduced Mlph protein levels, and melanosome aggregation, as observed by microscopy. Therefore, OPNA inhibits the expression of Mlph by inducing exon skipping within the gene. These results suggest that OPNA, which targets Mlph, may be a potential new whitening agent to inhibit melanosome movement.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.3601-3606
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• 2012

Structural properties of a small hexapeptide molecule modeled after metal-binding siderochrome immersed in a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) are studied via molecular dynamics simulations. We consider two different RTILs, each of which is made up of the same cationic species, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ($BMI^+$), but different anions, hexafluorophosphate ($PF_6{^-}$) and chloride ($Cl^-$). We investigate how anionic properties such as hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity or hydrogen bonding capability affect the stabilization of the peptide in RTILs. To examine the effect of peptide-RTIL electrostatic interactions on solvation, we also consider a hypothetical solvent $BMI^0Cl^0$, a non-ionic counter-part of $BMI^+Cl^-$. For reference, we investigate solvation structures in common polar solvents, water and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Comparison of $BMI^+Cl^-$ and $BMI^0Cl^0$ shows that electrostatic interactions of the peptide and RTIL play a significant role in the conformational fluctuation of the peptide. For example, strong electrostatic interactions between the two favor an extended conformation of the peptide by reducing its structural fluctuations. The hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of RTIL anions also exerts a notable influence; specifically, structural fluctuations of the peptide become reduced in more hydrophilic $BMI^+Cl^-$, compared with those in more hydrophobic $BMI^+PF_6{^-}$. This is ascribed to the good hydrogen-bond accepting power of chloride anions, which enables them to bind strongly to hydroxyl groups of the peptide and to stabilize its structure. Transport properties of the peptide are examined briefly. Translations of the peptide significantly slow down in highly viscous RTILs.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.197-202
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• 1996

A pollen-specific cDNA clone, LMP50, was isolated from the mature pollen cDNA library of the Easter lily. The LMP50 transcript was highly abundant in mture pollen grains but not detectable in other organs. The LMP50 cDNA clone contains 1383 nucleotides and two open reading frames. The first codes for a peptide of 15 amino acid residues. The role of this peptide is nuclear. The second encodes a protein containing 329 amino acid residues. This protein exhibited a significant homology to human tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and porcine uteroferrin. Both of these enzymes have been suggested to play a role in iron transport. Therefore, LMP50 may act as an iron carrier protein in mature pollen grains.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.245-255
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• 2012

Amyloid-${\beta}$ peptide ($A{\beta}$) is still best known as a molecule to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD) through accumulation and deposition within the frontal cortex and hippocampus in the brain. Thus, strategies on developing AD drugs have been focused on the reduction of $A{\beta}$ in the brain. Since accumulation of $A{\beta}$ depends on the rate of its synthesis and clearance, the metabolic pathway of $A{\beta}$ in the brain and the whole body should be carefully explored for AD research. Although the synthetic pathway of $A{\beta}$ is equally important, we summarize primarily the clearance pathway in this paper because the former has been extensively reviewed in previous studies. The clearance of $A{\beta}$ from the brain is accomplished by several mechanisms which include non-enzymatic and enzymatic pathways. Nonenzymatic pathway includes interstitial fluid drainage, uptake by microglial phagocytosis, and transport across the blood vessel walls into the circulation. Multiple $A{\beta}$-degrading enzymes (ADE) implicated in the clearance process have been identified, which include neprilysin, insulin-degrading enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase-9, glutamate carboxypeptidase II and others. A series of studies on $A{\beta}$ clearance mechanism provide new insight into the pathogenesis of AD at the molecular level and suggest a new target for the development of novel therapeutics.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1551-1562
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• 2024

Fungi employ diverse mechanisms for iron uptake to ensure proliferation and survival in iron-limited environments. Siderophores are secondary metabolite small molecules with a high affinity specifically for ferric iron; these molecules play an essential role in iron acquisition in fungi and significantly influence fungal physiology and virulence. Fungal siderophores, which are primarily hydroxamate types, are synthesized via non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) or NRPS-independent pathways. Following synthesis, siderophores are excreted, chelate iron, and are transported into the cell by specific cell membrane transporters. In several human pathogenic fungi, siderophores are pivotal for virulence, as inhibition of their synthesis or transport significantly reduces disease in murine models of infection. This review briefly highlights siderophore biosynthesis and transport mechanisms in fungal pathogens as well the model fungi Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Understanding siderophore biosynthesis and transport in pathogenic fungi provides valuable insights into fungal biology and illuminates potential therapeutic targets for combating fungal infections.