• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.160-170
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• 2016

The increasing spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has raised the interest in alternative antimicrobial treatments. In our study, the functionally active gram-negative bacterium bacteriophage CP933 endolysin was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by a combination of transient expression and vacuole targeting strategies, and its antimicrobial activity was investigated. Expression of the cp933 gene in E. coli led to growth inhibition and lysis of the host cells or production of trace amounts of CP933. Cytoplasmic expression of the cp933 gene in plants using Potato virus X-based transient expression vectors (pP2C2S and pGR107) resulted in death of the apical portion of experimental plants. To protect plants against the toxic effects of the CP933 protein, the cp933 coding region was fused at its Nterminus to an N-terminal signal peptide from the potato proteinase inhibitor I to direct CP933 to the delta-type vacuoles. Plants producing the CP933 fusion protein did not exhibit the severe toxic effects seen with the unfused protein and the level of expression was 0.16 mg/g of plant tissue. Antimicrobial assays revealed that, in contrast to gram-negative bacterium E. coli (BL21(DE3)), the gram-positive plant pathogenic bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis was more susceptible to the plant-produced CP933, showing 18% growth inhibition. The results of our experiments demonstrate that the combination of transient expression and protein targeting to the delta vacuoles is a promising approach to produce functionally active proteins that exhibit toxicity when expressed in plant cells.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.271-276
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• 1997

박테리오파아지 T7 RNA polymerase 유전자를 식물체내에서 이용할 수 있을지 알아보기 위하여 상처유발인 감자 단백질 분해효소 억제제 유전자의 프로모터에 박테리오파지 T7 RNA polymerase 유전자를 연결시킨 후 담배에 도입시켰다. 형질전환 식물체의 DNA에 대한 Southern hybridization에 의하면 T7 RNA polymerase 유전자가 식물체내에 1-2 copy가 존재하며, Northern hybridization에 의하면 T7 RNA polymerase의 RNA가 상처에 따라 생성되는 것을 확인하였다. 또한 Western hybridization에 의하면 식물체내 T7 RNA polymerase 단백질이 생성되는데 그 크기는 대장균에서 생성되는 단백질 크기와 유사한 80 kDa 이었으며 시험관내에서 전사체에 뉴클레오타이드를 결합시키는 능력이 있음도 확인하였다. 따라서 T7 RNA polymerase 유전자를 이용하여 식물체내에서 원하는 유전자의 발현을 증대시킬 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.85-96
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• 1988

Purification and some properties of alkaline proteinases in the pyloric caeca of skipjack, Katsuwonus vagans, were investigated. Four alkaline proteinases, temporarily designated proteinases I, II, III and IV, were identified from the tissue extract of the pyloric caeca by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography, and Sephadex G-100 and G-200 gel filtration. Result of disc-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis showed that the purified proteinases II and III were homogenous with the yields of $1.5\%\;and\;1.2\%$, and those specific activities were increased to 33 to 37 fold over that of the crude enzyme solution, respectively. Molecular weight of the proteinases II and III determined by sephadex G-100 gel filtration were 28,500 and 24,200, respectively. The optimum conditions for the caseinolytic activity of the two enzymes were pH 9.6 and $48^{\circ}C$. The reaction rates of the two alkaline proteinases were constant to the reaction time to 80 min in the reaction mixture of $3.4{\mu}g/ml$ of enzyme concentration and $2\%$ casein solution. The Km values against casein substrate determined by the method of Lineweaver-Burk were $0.56\%$ for proteinase II and $0.30\%$ for proteinase II. The proteinases II and III were inactivated under the presence of $Ag^+,\;Hg^{2+},\;Ni{2+},\;Fe^{2+},\;and\;Cu^{2+}$, and but activated by $Mn^{2+}\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ and markedly inhibited by the soybean trypsin inhibitor and N-p-toluenesulfonyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone. Therefore, the proteinases II and III were found to be a group of serine proteases and assured to be trypsin-like proteinases.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.109-116
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• 1997

An extracellular proteinase of Candida albicans was purified by a combination of 0~75% ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow ion exchange chromatography, and Sephacryl S-200 HR molecular sieve chromatography. Its mlecular weight was approximately 41 kDa on SDS-PAGE and isoelectric point was 4.4. The enzyme was inhibited by pepstain A. Optimum enzyme activity ranged from pH 2.0 to 3.5 with its maximum at pH 2.5 and a temperature of 45$^{\circ}C$. The addition of divalent cations, $Ca^{2+}$, Zn$^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$, resulted in no significant inhibition of enzymatic activity. However, some inhibitory effects were observed by Fe$^{2+}$, Ag$^{2+}$ and Cu$^{2+}$. With BSA as substrate, an apparent $K_m$ was determined to be 7$\times$10$^{-7}$ M and $K_i$, using pepstatin A as an inhibitor, was 8.05$\times$10$^{-8}$ M. N-terminal amino acid sequence was QAVPVTLXNEQ. Degradation of BSA and fibronectin was shown but not collagen, hemoglobin, immunoglobulin G, or lysozyme. The enzyme preferred peptides with Glu and Leu at the P$_1$ position, but the enzyme activity was highly reduced when the P$_2$ position was phe or pro. This enzyme showed antigenicity against sera of patients with candidiasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.187-196
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• 2006

The mammalian trematode Paragonimus westermani is a typical digenetic parasite, which can cause paragonimiasis in humans. Host tissues and blood cells are important sources of nutrients for development, growth and reproduction of P. westermani. In this study, a cDNA clone encoding a 47 kDa hemoglobinase of P. westermani was characterized by sequencing analysis, and its localization was investigated immunohistochemically. The phylogenetic tree prepared based on the hemoglobinase gene showed high homology with hemoglobinases of Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma spp. Moreover, recombinant P. westermani hemoglobinase degradaded human hemoglobin at acidic pH (from 3.0 to 5.5) and its activity was almost completely inhibited by E-64, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical studies showed that P. westermani hemoglobinase was localized in the epithelium of the adult worm intestine implying that the protein has a specific function. These observations suggest that hemoglobinase may act as a digestive enzyme for acquisition of nutrients from host hemoglobin. Further investigations may provide insights into hemoglobin catabolism in P. westermani.

• 약학회지
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.247-254
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• 1997

The proteinase-activated receptor (PAR-2) belongs to the family of seven transmembrane region receptors, like the thrombin receptor, it is activated by specific proteolytic clea vage of its extracellular amino terminus and a synthetic peptide (SLIGRL). The earthworm protein fraction (EPF) extracted from Lumbricus rubellus elicted dose- and endothelium-dependent relaxations in phenylephrine-contracted rat thoracic aorta, whereas heat inactivated EPF (0.5 ${\mu}g$ /ml) had no effect. In the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-methyl-L-arginine (1.8 micro M), EPF (0.5 ${\mu}g$ /ml)-induced relaxations were partially inhibited. Furthermore, EPF (0.5 ${\mu}g$ /ml) dramatically caused relaxation of thrombin-desenstized rat thoracic aorta. These results indicate that EPF activates PAR-2 in vascular endothelial cell. Intravenous injection of EPF (20 mg/kg, bolus) into anesthetized rats produced a marked depressor response. EPF (0 ~ 80 ${\mu}g$ /ml, gradient) was very effective on increasing of perfusion volume in rabbit ear vessel preparations. These results imply the usefulness of EPF as a vascular smooth muscle relaxant and indicate that the activation of PAR-2 may be a mechanism of EPF on hemokinetic improvement.

• BMB Reports
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.109-113
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• 2001

The Serratia marcescens metalloprotease inhibitor (SmaPI) is a proteinase inhibitor toward Serratia marcescens metalloprotease (SMP). The three-dimensional structure of SmaPI was calculated by computer modeling using the structure complex between SMP and the Erwinia chrysanthemi inhibitor as a template. Based on this model structure, the substitution of the amino acid residues, Ala4, Leu-5, Pro-6, and Thr-7, were located at the hinge region of the N-terminal segment by site-directed mutagenesis. Although the A4R and T7A mutant SmaPIs showed a nearly full inhibitory activity, the inhibitory activity of SmaPI decreased significantly when the Leu-5 was converted to Ala, Gly, Ile, or Val. Surprisingly, the L5I and L5V mutant SmaPIs showed less inhibitory activities than the L5A mutant. From these results, we suggested that the orientations and positions of respective aliphatic groups in the side-chain of position 5 mainly affected the inhibitory activity of SmaPI. The overall side-chain hydrophobicity was only slightly affected. The side-chain of the Leu-5 residue contributed approximately 0.79 kcal/mol out of 8.44 kcal/mol to the binding of SmaPI with SMP The inhibitory activities of P6A and F6G were also severely decreased. The Pro-6 may have a critical role in maintaining the strict conformation of the N-terminal portion that may be important in the inhibitory activity of SmaPI. In conclusion, Leu-5 and Pro-6 have crucial roles in the inhibitory function of SmaPI toward SMP.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.47-51
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• 2021

현대인에게 미백화장품은 미를 나타내는 중요한 요소이다. 균류는 미백에 연관된 다양한 물질대사산물을 생산한다. 본 연구에서 미백기능성 화장품에 소재를 탐색하기 위해 Trichoderma atroviride 배양액에 물질대사산물에 의한 tyrosinase inhibitors를 조사하였다. 또한, 억제 효과는 식의약안전처에 미백화장품 원료로 승인된 알부틴과 비교하였다. T. atroviride 배양액에 물질대사산물은 알부틴의 활성보다 높은 tyrosinase 억제 활성을 보였다. T. atroviride 배양액에 포함된 tyrosinase inhibitors 중 일부는 열에 안정한 반면에, 일부는 열에 불안정하였다. 본 물질들은 약산성~중성 pH 영역에서는 안정하였지만, 그 외 영역에서는 매우 불안정하였다. Proteinase K에 의해 활성 영향이 거의 없었기 때문에 inhibitor들은 대부분 물질대사산물로 구성된 것으로 추정된다. 따라서 본 T. atroviride 배양액에 물질대사산물은 미백화장품 소재로써 잠재적 가치가 있는 것으로 제의된다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.117-128
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• 1993

이 연구는 환자로부터 분리하여 무균 배양된 10개의 질트리코모나스 분리주에 대하여 병원성 여부를 판정하고 단백분해효소 관련 여부를 알아보고자 시도된 것이다. 질트리코모나스 분리주들은 마우스 피내 접종 실험을 통한 병원성 판정에서 약병원성 주, 중등도 병원성 주 및 강 병원성 주 등 3개 그룹으로 나눌 수 있었으며 중성 단백분해효소 및 산성 단백분해효소 활성도는 질트리코모나스 추출물 및 그 배양액에서 약 병원성 주에 비해 강 병원성 주의 활성도가 높게 나타나 피하농양 크기에 따른 병원성과 상기 단백분해효소의 비활성도(specific activi쇼) 사이에 상관관계가 있었음을 알 수 있었다(p < 0.05) 질트리코모나스 단백분해효소는 gelatin을 기질로 하는 SDS-PAGE 전기영동에서 RF치를 달리하는 5가지 분획대가 나타났으며 그 분획양상은 각 분리주 의 병원성에 따라 일정한 양상을 나타내었다. 그리고 여러가지 단백분해효소 억제제를 전기 영동 효소액에 처리했을 경우 antlpaln과 leupeptin 처리군에서는 분획이 전혀 나타나지 않았으며 EUTA 처리군에서는 대조군에 비해 그 활성이 약화된 분획이 관찰되었고, PMSF 처리군에서의 분획들은 대조군과 그 활성의 차이를 볼 수 없어 이들 단백 분해효소는 cystelne 단백분해효소로 추정되었다. 조직 세포에 대한 질트리코모나스 추출물의 세포독성은 병원성에 따라 차이가 있었고 추출물의 단백질 농도 $12.0{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/100{\mu}\ell$ 이상에서 세포 독성에 따른 병원성 구분이 용이하였다. 그리고 질트리코모나스 추출물에 단백분해효소 억제제를 처리한 결과 대조군에 비하여 세포 독성이 낮게 나타났으며, 특히 antipain 처리군에서는 조직 세포에 대한 세포 독성이 현저하게 낮았다. 이상의 결과로 보아 cysteine계로 추정되는 질트리코모나스의 단백분해효소는 특이한 전기영동 활성 분획상을 나타내었는 바 이들은 모두 충체의 병원성 및 세포 독성과 밀접한 관련이 있었다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.59-67
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• 2023

Thrombin is a serine protease that participates in a variety of biological signaling through protease-activated receptors. Intestinal myofibroblasts play central roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. In this study, we found that thrombin-induced apoptosis is mediated by the calcium-mediated activation of cytosolic phospholipase A₂ in the CCD-18Co cell. Thrombin reduced cell viability by inducing apoptosis and proteinase-activated receptor-1 antagonist attenuated thrombin-induced cell death. Endogenous ceramide did not affect the cell viability itself, but a ceramide-mediated pathway was involved in thrombin-induced cell death. Thrombin increased intracellular calcium levels and cytosolic phospholipase A₂ activity. The ceramide synthase inhibitor Fumonisin B1, intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM, and cytosolic phospholipase A₂ inhibitor AACOCF₃ inhibited thrombin-induced cell death. Thrombin stimulated arachidonic acid release and reactive oxygen species generation, which was blocked by AACOCF₃, BAPTA-AM, and the antioxidant reagent Trolox. Taken together, thrombin triggered apoptosis through calcium-mediated activation of cytosolic phospholipase A₂ in intestinal myofibroblasts.