• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2007

cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is the best-characterized protein kinases and has served as a model of the structure and regulation of cAMP-binding protein as well as of protein kinases. To determine the function of PKA in development, we employed the yeast two-hybrid system to screen for catalytic subunit of PKA $(C\alpha)$ interacting partners in a cDNA library from mouse embryo. A Testis-brain RNA-binding protein (TB-RBP), specifically bound to $C\alpha$. This interaction was verified by several biochemical analysis. Our findings indicate that $C\alpha$ can modulate nucleic acid binding proteins of TB-RBP and provide insights into the diverse role of PKA.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.467-474
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• 2009

The modification of proteins by reversible phosphorylation is a key mechanism in the regulation of various physiological functions. Abnormal protein kinase or phosphatase activity can cause disease by altering the phosphorylation of critical proteins in normal cellular and disease processes. Alzheimer' disease (AD), typically occurring in the elderly, is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Accumulating evidence suggests that protein kinase and phosphatase activity are altered in the brain tissue of AD patients. Tau is a highly recognized phosphoprotein that undergoes hyperphosphorylation to form neurofibrillary tangles, a neuropathlogical hallmark with amyloid plaques in AD brains. This study is a brief overview of the altered protein phosphorylation pathways found in AD. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which the activities of protein kinases and phosphatases are altered as well as the phosphorylation events in AD can potentially reveal novel insights into the role aberrant phosphorylation plays in the pathogenesis of AD, providing support for protein phosphorylation as a potential treatment strategy for AD.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.323-327
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• 2010

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) activates basophils to release histamine and causes chronic inflammation. It was also reported that TCTP significantly reduced in brain of Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome as compared to normal person, suggesting that TCTP might be involved in cognitive function. We wondered whether TCTP could act as a general inducer in neurotransmitters release in brain. We, therefore, investigated the role of TCTP in PC12 cell line which expressed neuronal properties. We found that TCTP could activate JNK, and the activity was inhibited by pretreatment of dicoumarol, a JNK inhibitor. However, TCTP could not activate ERK that has known to be involved in neurotransmitter release. These suggest TCTP did not participate in neurotransmitter release from PC12 cells, and TCTP might not be a general inducer in neurotransmitter release.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.14-26
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• 1998

a- and c-raf protein kinase in the brain of rat, the protein pattern of cerebellum during postnatal development of rat by polyacryamide gel electrophoresis, and the existence of c-raf protein kinase by using Western blotting method. The results were as follows: The cytoplasm of Purkinje cells was, in general, strongly labeled with the antibodies of a- and c-raf protein kinases in the cortex regions such as Pyramis cerebelli, Unula, Nodulus, Paraflocculus, and Flocculus. C-raf protein kinase appeared stronger immunoreactivity than a-raf protein kinase. In peripheral of cytoplasm of Nucleus emboliformis, A-raf Protein kinase was labeled markedly. During postnatal development, the protein of 38,000 dalton increased gradually in the cytosolic fraction of cerebellum, and the protein of 260,600 dalton appeared in the membrane fraction of cerebellum. By immunoblotting method, the protein band of 74,000 dalton was detected in crude and cytosolic fractions, but it was not exhibited in membrane fraction, In this fact, it was identified that a - and c-raf proteins were distributed throughout neuronal cells, especially in the Purkinje cells, in normal cerebellum cortex of rat. Also, this phenomenon was assumed that raf protein kinase in cytoplasm of neuronal cell had to do with a certain functional mechanism and signal transduction of neurotransmitter as Protein kinase C.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.390-397
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• 2011

G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) and ${\beta}$-arrestins have been known as regulators of G protein-coupled receptors. However, it has been recently reported that GRKs and ${\beta}$-arrestins mediate receptor-mediated cellular responses in a G proteinin-dependent manner. In this scheme, GRKs work as a mediator or a scaffold protein. Among 7 members of the GRK family (GRK1-GRK7), GRK2 is the most extensively studied in vitro and in vivo. GRK2 is involved in cellular migration, insulin signaling, and cardiovascular disease. GRK6 in concert with ${\beta}$-arrestin 2 mediates chemoattractant-stimulated chemotaxis of T and B lymphocytes. GRK5 shuttles between the cytosol and nucleus, and regulates the activities of transcription factors. GRK3 and GRK4 do not seem to have striking effects on cellular responses other than receptor regulation. GRK1 and GRK7 play specific roles in regulation of rhodopsin function. In this review, these newly discovered functions of GRKs are briefly described.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2000

To investigate the effects of protein kinases on endothelin-1-induced phospholipase C activation and $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization in Rat-2 fibroblast, we measured the formation of inositol phosphates and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration with [$^3$H]inositol and Fura-2/AM, respectively. Endothelin-1 dose-dependently activated phospholipase C and increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. Protein kinase C activator PMA, significantly inhibited both phospholipase C activity and $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization induced by endothelin-1. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, inhibited both. On the other hand, cyclic nucleotide (cAMP and cGMP) did not have any influence on the signaling pathway of phospholipase C-Ca$^{2+}$ mobilization induced by endothelin-1. These results suggest that protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase counteract on the signaling pathway of phospholipase C-Ca$^{2+}$ mobilization induced by endothelin-1 in Rat-2 fibroblast. fibroblast.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.152-159
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• 2014

The regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation is mediated by protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and is essential for cellular homeostasis. Co-expression of PTKs with PTPs in Pichia pastoris was used to facilitate the expression of active PTKs by neutralizing their apparent toxicity to cells. In this study, the gene encoding phosphatase PTP1B with or without a blue fluorescent protein or peroxisomal targeting signal 1 was cloned into the expression vector pAG32 to produce four vectors. These vectors were subsequently transformed into P. pastoris GS115. The tyrosine kinases EGFR-2 and $PDGFR{\beta}$ were expressed from vector pPIC3.5K and were fused with a His-tag and green fluorescent protein at the N-terminus. The two plasmids were transformed into P. pastoris with or without PTP1B, resulting in 10 strains. The EGFR-2 and $PDGFR{\beta}$ fusion proteins were purified by $Ni^{2+}$ affinity chromatography. In the recombinant P. pastoris, the PTKs co-expressed with PTP1B exhibited higher kinase catalytic activity than did those expressing the PTKs alone. The highest activities were achieved by targeting the PTKs and PTP1B into peroxisomes. Therefore, the EGFR-2 and $PDGFR{\beta}$ fusion proteins expressed in P. pastoris may be attractive drug screening targets for anticancer therapeutics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 1998

Phosphorylation of phytochrome may play important functional roles to control plant photomorphogenesis. Many attempts have failed to identify the protein kinase that phosphorylates phytochrome in vivo. It has been reported that a polycation-stimulated protein kinase activity was associated with the purified phytochrome. However, it is not known if the kinase activity is an intrinsic property of phytochrome or whether it comes from a contaminant of the purified phytochrome. In the present study, three protein kinases that phosphorylate phytochrome have been identified from etiolated oat seedlings. A polycationstimulated protein kinase that had very similar enzymatic properties with that associated with the purified phytochrome was identified in the cytosolic extract. It phosphorylated several contaminant proteins in the kinase preparation as well as phytochrome and had a broad substrate specificity. A CK II-type protein kinase phosphorylated phytochrome and the exogenously added casein. It is likely that this kinase may not be a feasible candidate for the kinase phosphorylating phytochrome in vivo since the content of the kinase seemed to well exceed the content of phytochrome in the etiolated oat seedlings. Another protein kinase that had unique enzymatic properties phosphorylated phytochrome very specifically and seemed to be present in a small quantity in the etiohlted seedlings. It is expected that one of three kinases may be responsible for the phytochrome phosphorylation in vivo.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2008

Saururus chinensis is a commonly used folk herb for the treatment of edema and liver diseases in Korea. To study the biological activity of Saururus chinensis in bone metabolism, we evaluated the effect of its extracts on osteoclast differentiation in vitro using primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages. Methanol extract (ME) from dried roots of Saururus chinensis was partitioned into methylene chloride (MF), ethyl acetate (EF), n-butanol (BF) and water fractions (WF). Tartrate-resistance acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity assay and western blot analysis were performed to determine the effect on osteoclast differentiation and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases activation. ME, MF and EF dramatically inhibited receptor activator of ${NF-kB}$ ligand (RANKL)-induced formation of multinucleated osteoclasts and activation of MAP kinases. This study firstly demonstrated that ME, MF and EF of Saururus chinensis have the potential to inhibit the osteoclast differentiation, which results from the inhibition of MAP kinases activations in part.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.24-27
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• 2002

Apoptotic cell death is an active process mediated by various signaling pathways, which include the caspase cascade and the stress-activated protein kinase pathways. The caspase cascade is activated by two distinct routes: one from cell surface and the other from mitochondria. Activation of the route from cell surface requires the cellular components that include membrane receptors, adaptor proteins such as TRADD and FADD, and caspase-8, while activation of the other from mitochondria requires Apaf-1, caspase-9, and cytosolic cytochrome c. On the other hand, persistent stimulation of the stress-activated protein kinase pathway is also shown to mediate apoptosis in many cell types. Gene-targeting studies with jnk- or jip-null mice, in particular, strongly suggest that this signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the cellular machinery for apoptosis.