• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.348-352
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• 1994

Soybean seed consists of two major storage protein, the 7S and 11S globulins. For improving the quality of soybean seed protein, an increase of 11S/7S ratio would be a desirable objective because the 11S globulin contains much more the sulfur-containing amino acids than the 7S globulin. In this study, some soybean varieties were used to investigate the analyzing method for 7S and 11S globulins. 7S and 11S globulins couble be fractionated by their different solubilities in tris buffers. Adjusting the pH and tris concentration were major factors affecting the precipitation of the two globulins. And it was possible to screen the soybean genotypes having aberrant subunit compositions of the two globulins by an sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of total soybean proteins. The ratio of 11S to 7S globulin ranged from 1.29 to 1.38. This paper also dealed with the contribution of protein components in soybean seeds to the physical properties of soycurd. It indicated that the soycurd from crude 11S was remarkably harder than that from crude 7S, and springiness and cohesiveness were slightly higher in soycurd having higher proportion of 11S. So, it may concluded that proportion of protein components in soybean seed can be important factor which controls the suitability for soycurd or other foods.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.187-208
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• 2000

By the activation of ovary hormone, many morphological changes occur in the epithelial cell lines and muscle cells in rat uterus. These two cells in uterus are important to the implantation of embryo, maintaining pregnancy and starting parturition. One important change associated with the morphological change of these two cells in uterus is the change on prostaglandin(PG) metabolism. Its presence and synthesis in endometriurn and myometrium in uterus affects estrous cycle and the start of embryo implantation in uterus. It also performs as an important modulator in parturition. So the abnormally weak expression of PG causes difficulty during labor and over-expression causes pre-term labor. PG biosynthesis starts from either free or liberated arachidonic acids from membrane phospholipid by phospholipase. Such arachidonic acids are converted into PG catalyzed by Cyclooxygenase. Under normal physiological condition, Cyclooxygenase-1(COX-1) having 602 units of amino acids controls the synthesis of PG. It acts as a local hormone regulating vasomodulation of blood flow, flexible muscle movement, increasing the blood permeability and contributing the protective role in preserving integrity of the stomach lining and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is induced by the inflammation, pregnancy and increased its expression until parturition. Lipid metabolite like PG is located in uterine and expression of COX-2 increased with pregnancy. Increased expression of COX proteins in epithelial cells and myometrial cells are told to increase the muscle contractility in uterus but decreased right after the labor in rat. It is a good sign indicating that COX proteins are deeply related to the start of labor. Currently, Several studies report the use of PG and COX-2 inhibitor as medication for controlled abortion or to prevent pre-term labor but they entail various side-effects. Our study proposed to suggest use of acupuncture as an another mediator to control abortion or pre-term labor without causing unnecessary side-effects by those medicines. Two acupuncture sites, LI-4 & SP-6 were selected due to their known efficacy. From the immunohistochemical staining of COX-2, normal expression of COX-2 protein in nonpregnant SD rat's uterus revealed that COX-2 protein was primarily detected in the lumina epithelial lining and in the epithelial cell lining contacting the stromal cells. High resolution optical microscopic scanning revealed distinguishable staining in the myometrial mucosa. LI-4 acupuncture administered nonpregnant rat's uterus showed strong expression for COX-2 in endometrium contacted with lumina epithelial lining of rat uterus and in myometrial mucosa. Stromal cells showed more staining than untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus and stronger staining in stromal cells contacting myometrial layer compared to untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus. SP-6 acupuncture administered nonpregnant rat's uterus showed weak expression for COX-2 in myometrial layers and stromal cells but no staining was visible in lumina epitheliai and glandular epithelial cells. Few stromal cells and myometrial mucosa were positively stained for COX-2. Pregnant SD rat's uterus was also immunostained for COX-2 expression after 18 days of pregnancy. Unlike to untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus, luminal epithelial cells were not positively stained for COX-2 but stronger staining for COX-2 was revealed in stromal cells. LI-4 acupunctured SD rat's uterus had very strong expression of COX-2 in luminal epithelial lining. Few stromal cells showed stronger positive COX-2 staining and myometrial layers also showed more expression than untreated pregnant rat. SP-6 acupuncture administered pregnant SD rat's uterus showed positive expression of COX-2 in epithelial cells of luminal mucosa layer but weaker than that of LI-4 acupuncture treatment's case. However, strong positive staining was revealed in stromal mucosa and myometrial layers. Virgin SD rat's uterus motility index during LI-4 acupuncture was 66.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.0197) compared to its motility before the acupuncture treatment but the motility index was slighdy elevated up to 79.58 % (Prob〉T = 0.1175) after the acupuncture. During the SP-6 acupuncture treatment for 30 minutes, uterus motility index was 90.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.1832) showing lesser decrement but consequently reached similar motility index decreasal to 79.95 % (Prob〉T = 0.0215) after the acupuncture treatment as LI-4 showed. LI-4 acupuncture tend to be a quick treatment to reducing the uterus motility in a virgin rat but eventually both two acupuncture administration created very similar reduction of uterus motility seeing the index after the both acupunctures. The uterus movement monitored during the LI-4 acupuncture administered for 30 minutes, Pregnant SD rat showed decreased motility down to 77.90 % (Prob〉 T = 0.0076) compared to uterus motility before the acupuncture and it continuously decreased down to 71.81 %(Prob〉T = 0.0214) after the removal of needle. The statistical analysis using paired t-test showed significance difference for both two motility indexs at =0.05. SP-6 acupuncture administered to pregnant SD rat also had similar pattern of decreasing uterus motility index down to 74.70 % (Prob〉T = 0.1730) during the initial 30 minutes acupuncture administration and it was continuously lowered to 71.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.0155) after the acupuncture. The paired t-test resuit for SP-6 suggest prompt response of uterus motility index to the SP-6 acupuncture treatment but consequently reached same level of inducing the motility reduction as LI-4 at =0.05 level.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.324-330
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• 2016

To determine whether FT-IR spectral analysis based on multivariate analysis for whole cell extracts can be used to discriminate between artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) plants at the metabolic level, leaves of ten artichoke plants were subjected to Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) spectroscopy. FT-IR spectral data from leaves were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). FT-IR spectra confirmed typical spectral differences between the frequency regions of 1,700-1,500, 1,500-1,300 and $1,100-950cm^{-1}$, respectively. These spectral regions reflect the quantitative and qualitative variations of amide I, II from amino acids and proteins ($1,700-1,500cm^{-1}$), phosphodiester groups from nucleic acid and phospholipid ($1,500-1,300cm^{-1}$) and carbohydrate compounds ($1,100-950cm^{-1}$). PCA revealed separate clusters that corresponded to their species relationship. Thus, PCA could be used to distinguish between artichoke species with different metabolite contents. PLS-DA showed similar species classification of artichoke. Furthermore these metabolic discrimination systems could be used for the rapid selection and classification of useful artichoke cultivars.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.199-204
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• 2009

Purpose : Various proteins encoded in the early region 3 (E3) of adenoviruses protect cells from being killed by cytotoxic T cells and death-inducing cytokines. We sought to find out whether the genetic heterogeneity of the E3 gene might contribute to the molecular diversity of adenoviruses. Methods : Sequences in the E3 region were analyzed for 14 adenovirus type 3 (Ad3) strains that were isolated from children with lower respiratory tract infections in the Seoul National University Children's Hospital during the period 1991-2000. Full-length adenoviral DNA was purified from the infected A549 cell lysates using a modified Hirt procedure. Results : There was 98% homology between 14 Korean Ad3 strains with a reference strain (M15952). Homology within the Korean Ad3 strains was 98.7%. Variation was found in the region of transcripts 20.1 kDa, 20.6 kDa, truncated 7.7 kDa, 10.3 kDa, 14.9 kDa, and 15.3 kDa. In particular, all 14 Korean strains showed a missense single point mutation at the start codon of the truncated 7.7 kDa. In addition, a deletion was found in the truncated 7.7 kDa region by 58 base pairs in 10 strains and 94 base pairs in 4 strains. Variations in amino acids were observed in the receptor internalization and degradation complex (10.3 kDa/14.9 kDa) which stimulates the clearance from the cell surface and subsequent degradation of the receptors for the Fas ligand and TRAIL, while no variations were observed in another immunoregulatory transcript, 19 kDa. Conclusion : Sequence analysis of the immunoregulatory region of adenovirus E3 shows that genetic heterogeneities are related to genome type patterns.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 2003

Soil salinity is one of the most serious abiotic stresses limiting the productivity of agricultural crops. To cope with salt stress, plants respond with physiological, developmental and biochemical changes, including the synthesis of a number of proteins and the induction of gene expression. Salicornia herbacea is a halophytic plant that grows in salt marshes and on muddy seashores. In order to understand the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in S. herbacea, we isolated several genes that involved in the salt tolerance by mRNA differential display. Here we report the cloning of a cDNA encoding fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase, named ShADL, which is 1293 bp long and contains an open reading frame consisted of 359 amino acids with calculated molecular mass of 39 kDa. ShADL protein showed 86％ identity with Arabidopsis and 78％ with aldolase of common ice plant. Northern blot analysis revealed that the transcript of ShADL gene was increased dramatically depending on the NaCl concentrations.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.233-238
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• 2009

The expression of Corynebacterium ammoniagenes purF was analyzed by utilizing a plasmid carrying a cat gene fused to the purF promoter region. Adenine and guanine repressed the expression of the purF gene by 20~30% but hypoxanthine did not exert such repressive effect. The expression purF was maximal at the late log phase and remained constant throughout the stationary phase. Promoter $P_{180}$ which was developed in C. glutamicum was also functional in C. ammoniagenes, achieving maximal activity at the late log phase. The promoter outperformed Escherichia coli $P_{tac}$ promoter by 40~50% level. DNA-affinity purification identified a protein which could bind to the promoter region of the purF gene. The protein showed high similarity to the CRP-family transcriptional regulator encoded by NCgl0120 in C. glutamicum. The size of the screened protein agreed with the expected protein size from the ORF NCgl0120. The corresponding gene in C. ammoniagenes encoded a 42 kDa polypeptide composed of 400 amino acids with expected pI of 4.9. The encoded protein showed 14.1% and 15.8% identity with E. coli and Bacillus subtilis PurR, respectively, suggesting that the isolated protein might be a novel type of regulatory protein involved in the regulation of purine metabolism.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.833-838
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• 2015

Multidrug-resistant super bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections are major health threaten pathogens. However, to overcome the present healthcare situation, among the leading alternatives to current drugs are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are abundantly produced via various species in nature. AMPs, small host defense proteins, are in charge of the innate immunity for the protection of multicellular organisms such as fish, amphibian, reptile, plants and animals from infection. The number of AMPs identified per year has increased steadily since the 1980s. Over 2,000 natural AMPs from bacteria, protozoa, fungi, plants, and animals have been listed into the antimicrobial peptide database (APD). The majority of these AMPs (>86%) possess 11–50 amino acids with a net charge from 0 to +7 and hydrophobic percentages between 31–70%. This report classified AMP into several categories including biological source, biological functions, peptide properties, covalent bonding pattern, and 3D structure. AMP functions not only antimicrobial activity but facilitates cell biological activity such as chemotatic activity. In addition, fibroblastic reticular cell (FRC) originated from mouse lymph node stroma induced the expression of AMP in inflammatory condition. AMP induced from FRC contained whey acidic protein (WAP) domain. It suggests that the classification of AMP will be done by protein domain.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.247-268
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• 1996

It has been known for a long time that gonadotropins and steroid hormones play a pivotal role in a series of reproductive biological phenomena including the maturation of ovarian follicles and oocytes, ovulation and implantation, maintenance of pregnancy and fetal growth & development, parturition and mammary development and lactation. Recent investigations, however, have elucidated that in addition to these classic hormones, multiple growth factors also are involved in these phenomena. Most growth factors in reproductive organs mediate the actions of gonadotropins and steroid hormones or synergize with them in an autocrine/paracrine manner. The insulin-like growth factor(IGF) system, which is one of the most actively investigated areas lately in the reproductive organs, has been found to have important roles in a wide gamut of reproductive phenomena. In the present communication, published literature pertaining to the intrauterine IGF system will be reviewed preceded by general information of the IGF system. The IGF family comprises of IGF-I & IGF-II ligands, two types of IGF receptors and six classes of IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs) that are known to date. IGF-I and IGF-II peptides, which are structurally homologous to proinsulin, possess the insulin-like activity including the stimulatory effect of glucose and amino acid transport. Besides, IGFs as mitogens stimulate cell division, and also play a role in cellular differentiation and functions in a variety of cell lines. IGFs are expressed mainly in the liver and messenchymal cells, and act on almost all types of tissues in an autocrine/paracrine as well as endocrine mode. There are two types of IGF receptors. Type I IGF receptors, which are tyrosine kinase receptors having high-affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II, mediate almost all the IGF actions that are described above. Type II IGF receptors or IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptors have two distinct binding sites; the IGF-II binding site exhibits a high affinity only for IGF-II. The principal role of the type II IGF receptor is to destroy IGF-II by targeting the ligand to the lysosome. IGFs in biological fluids are mostly bound to IGFBP. IGFBPs, in general, are IGF storage/carrier proteins or modulators of IGF actions; however, as for distinct roles for individual IGFBPs, only limited information is available. IGFBPs inhibit IGF actions under most in vitro situations, seemingly because affinities of IGFBPs for IGFs are greater than those of IGF receptors. How IGF is released from IGFBP to reach IGF receptors is not known; however, various IGFBP protease activities that are present in blood and interstitial fluids are believed to play an important role in the process of IGF release from the IGFBP. According to latest reports, there is evidence that under certain in vitro circumstances, IGFBP-1, -3, -5 have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. This may add another dimension of complexity of the already complicated IGF system. Messenger ribonucleic acids and proteins of the IGF family members are expressed in the uterine tissue and conceptus of the primates, rodents and farm animals to play important roles in growth and development of the uterus and fetus. Expression of the uterine IGF system is regulated by gonadal hormones and local regulatory substances with temporal and spatial specificities. Locally expressed IGFs and IGFBPs act on the uterine tissue in an autocrine/paracrine manner, or are secreted into the uterine lumen to participate in conceptus growth and development. Conceptus also expresses the IGF system beginning from the peri-implantation period. When an IGF family member is expressed in the conceptus, however, is determined by the presence or absence of maternally inherited mRNAs, genetic programming of the conceptus itself and an interaction with the maternal tissue. The site of IGF action also follows temporal (physiological status) and spatial specificities. These facts that expression of the IGF system is temporally and spatially regulated support indirectly a hypothesis that IGFs play a role in conceptus growth and development. Uterine and conceptus-derived IGFs stimulate cell division and differentiation, glucose and amino acid transport, general protein synthesis and the biosynthesis of mammotropic hormones including placental lactogen and prolactin, and also play a role in steroidogenesis. The suggested role for IGFs in conceptus growth and development has been proven by the result of IGF-I, IGF-II or IGF receptor gene disruption(targeting) of murine embryos by the homologous recombination technique. Mice carrying a null mutation for IGF-I and/or IGF-II or type I IGF receptor undergo delayed prenatal and postnatal growth and development with 30-60% normal weights at birth. Moreover, mice lacking the type I IGF receptor or IGF-I plus IGF-II die soon after birth. Intrauterine IGFBPs generally are believed to sequester IGF ligands within the uterus or to play a role of negative regulators of IGF actions by inhibiting IGF binding to cognate receptors. However, when it is taken into account that IGFBP-1 is expressed and secreted in primate uteri in amounts assessedly far exceeding those of local IGFs and that IGFBP-1 is one of the major secretory proteins of the primate decidua, the possibility that this IGFBP may have its own biological activity independent of IGF cannot be excluded. Evidently, elucidating the exact role of each IGFBP is an essential step into understanding the whole IGF system. As such, further research in this area is awaited with a lot of anticipation and attention.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-35
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• 1997

Fertilized egg, by successive cell divisions, differentiates into different tissues and organs with various structures and functions. Different cells and tissues contain different proteins, products of selective gene expression. Not all the genes in any genomes are equally active, temporal and spatial gene expression being the general rule. Present paper attempts to review the tanscriptional mechanisms or the initiations of transcription from several angles. In some of the organisms the genes in the process of transcription or the genes in the inactive state can be seen under the light microscope. Some bands of Drosophila polytene chromosomes may exhibit a swollen or puff appearance under certain conditions. A puff, unfolded or decondensed form of chromomere, represents sets of intense transcriptional activity or RNA synthesis. The heterochromatic X chromosome whose genes remain inactive in the female mammals can be visualized as a dark staining structure called Barr body, Configuration of chromatin differs between transcribed and nontranscribed chromatin. Modification to the chromatin facilitates RNA synthesis. The movement of large polymerase molecule along the DNA would probably be facilitated if some modifications of the chromatin configuration is effected. Methylation of cytosines in CG sequences is associated with inactive genes. Methylation can play a role in determination of mammalian cells during embryogenesis. Demethylation is necessary for the gene to be expressed during development A histone modification that is also known to be correlated with transcriptional capacity of chromatin is acetylation of the lysine residues of the core histones. Chromatin containing a high level of histone acetylation is very sensitive to DNase 1. For the transcription to occur TBP must first bind to the TATA box. Another TF, TF IIB, then binds to the promoter-TBP complex, facilitating the access of RNA polymerase to the transcription initiation site. As recently as eight years ago researchers assumed that histones were irrelevant to the regulation of gene expression. Histones combine with the DNA to form nucleosome of the chromatin. Histones are vital participant in gene regulation. Histone and basal factors compete for access to TATA box. When DNA is exposed to basal factors before histones are introduced, the basal factors assemble on TATA boxes preventing the access of histones, allowing transcription to occur, for transcription to begin, activator protein at the upstream activation sequence or enhancer must interact with the tail of histone H4 at TATA box and cause the histone role particle to dissociate from the TATA box leading to partial breakup of the histone core particle and allowing the basal factors to bind to the TATA box. New concept of genomic flux in contrast to the old concept of static genome has been developed based on the powerful new molecular techniques. Genomic changes such as repetitive DNAs and transposable elements, it is assumed but not yet proved, may affect some of the developmental patterns that characterize particular cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. In the last decade or so remarkable achievement have been made in the researches of the structures and functions of TFs and the specific target sequences located in promoters or enhancers where these TFs bind. TFs have independent domains that bind DNA and that activate transcription. DNA binding domain of TFs serves to bring the protein into the right location. There are many types of DNA binding domains. Common types of motifs can be found that are responsible for binding to DNA. The motifs are usually quite short and comprise only a small part of the protein structure. Steroid receptors have domains for hormone binding, DNA binding, and activating transcription. The zinc finger motif comprises a DNA binding domain. Leucine zipper consist of a stretch of amino acids with a leucine residue in every seventh position Two proteins form a dimer because they interact by means of leucine zippers on similar α-helical domain. This positions their DNA binding basic domains for interaction with the two halves of a DNA sequence with dyad symmetry of TGACTCA, ACTGAGT.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.177-183
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• 2008

Ac/Ds mutant lines of this study were transgenic rice plants, each of which harbored the maize transposable element Ds together with a GUS coding sequence under the control of a promoterless(Ds-GUS). We selected the mutants that were GUS expressed lines, because the GUS positive lines will be useful for identifying gene function in rice. One of these mutants was identified knock-out at Oszinc626(NP_001049991) gene, encoding a RING-H2 zinc-finger protein, by Ds insertion. In this mutant, while primary root development is normal, secondary root development from lateral root was very poor and seed development was incomplete compare with normal plant. RING zinc-finger proteins play important roles in the regulation of development in a variety of organisms. In the plant kingdom, a few genes encoding RING zinc-finger proteins have been documented with visible effects on plant growth and development. The consensus of the RING-H2(C3-H2-C3 type) domain for this group of protein is $Cys-X_2-Cys-X_{28}-Cys-X-His-X_2-His-X_2-Cys-X_{14}-Cys-X_2-Cys$. Oszinc626 encodes a predicted protein product of 445 amino acids residues with a molecular mass of 49 kDa, with a RING-zinc-finger motif located at the extreme end of the C-terminus. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of Oszinc626 gene was induced by IAA, cold, dehydration, high-salinity and abscisic acid, but not by 2,4-D, and the transcription of Oszinc626 gene accumulated primarily in rice immature seeds, root meristem and shoots. The gene accumulation patterns were corresponded with GUS expression.