• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2011

Leucine-rich repeat containing protein 10 (LRRC10) is characterized as a cardiac-specific gene, suggesting a role in heart development and disease. A severe cardiac morphogenic defect in zebrafish morphants was recently reported but a contradictory result was found in mice, suggesting a more complicated molecular mechanism exists during mouse embryonic development. To elucidate how LRRC10 is regulated, we analyzed the 5'enhancer region approximately 3 kilo bases (kb) upstream of the Lrrc10 start site using luciferase reporter gene assays. Our characterization of the Lrrc10 promoter indicates it possesses complicated cis-and trans-acting elements. We show that GATA4 and MEF2C could both increase transcriptional activity of Lrrc10 promoter individually but that they do not act synergistically, suggesting that there exists a more complex regulation pattern. Surprisingly, knockout of Gata4 and Mef2c binding sites in the 5’enhancer region (-2,894/-2,889) didn't change the transcriptional activity of the Lrrc10 promoter and the likely GATA4 binding site identified was located in a region only 100 base pair (bp) upstream of the promoter. Our data provides insight into the molecular regulation of Lrrc10 expression, which probably also contributes to its tissue-specific expression.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.860-865
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• 2006

The quality parameters of sponge cake supplemented with soy protein concentrate (SPC) were evaluated. The addition of SPC to wheat flour increased the protein content and alkaline water retention value, but decreased the sedimentation value. Protein content had a positive correlation with the alkaline water retention value, and a negative correlation with the sedintentation value. The higher the concentration of SPC, the higher the RVA pasting temperature and the lower the viscosity. Increasing the level of SPC in flour led to a decrease in mixogram peak time, whereas peak height, width at peak, and width at 8 min progressively increased. As the amount of SPC increased in the formulation, the pH and specific gravity of cake batter increased, whereas the volume and specific volume of sponge cake decreased. The total isoflavones content in SPC increased after heat treatment. The hardness, gumminess, and chewiness increased progressively in accordance with increasing level of SPC.

• BMB Reports
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.260-267
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• 2004

Transducin (T), the heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein in rod outer segments, serves as an intermediary between the receptor protein, rhodopsin, and the effector protein, cGMP phosphodiesterase. Labeling of T with dansyl chloride (DnsCl) inhibited its light-dependent guanine nucleotide binding activity. Conversely, DnsCl had no effect on the functionality of rhodopsin. Approximately 2-3 mol of DnsCl were incorporated per mole of T. Since fluoroaluminate was capable of activating DnsCl-modified T, this lysine-specific labeling compound did not affect the guanine nucleotide-binding pocket of T. However, the labeling of T with DnsCl hindered its binding to photoexcited rhodopsin, as shown by sedimentation experiments. Additionally, rhodopsin completely protected against the DnsCl inactivation of T. These results demonstrated the existence of functional lysines on T that are located in the proximity of the interaction site with the photoreceptor protein.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 1999

Three experiments were conducted to develop and test equations for predicting carcass composition. In the first study using 52 d-old Cobb ${\times}$ Cobb male broilers, twenty four carcasses were selected from 325 processed birds based upon visual appraisal for abdominal fat (low, medium, high) and assayed for specific gravity (SG), dry matter (DM), fat, protein, and ash. In experiment 2, 120 birds were fed rations containing 2 caloric densities (2,880 and $3,200kcal\;ME_n/kg$ diet) and assayed as described above on weeks 2,3,4,5, and 6. Carcass fat was elevated (p < 0.05) with increased caloric density. In both studies predictive variables were significantly correlated with chemically determined carcass fat, protein, and ash contents. Pooled across the 2 studies, data were used to form SG, DM, and or age based equations for predicting carcass composition. Results were tested in experiment 3, where 576 birds reared to 49-d consumed either 2,880, 3,200, or $3,574kcal\;ME_n/kg$ diet while exposed to constant $24^{\circ}C$ or cycling 24 to $35^{\circ}C$ ambient temperatures. Both dietary and environmental effects impacted (p < 0.05) carcass composition. The fat content analyzed chemically was enhanced from 12.4 to 15.7%, and predicted fat was also elevated from 13.4 to 14.8% with increasing caloric density. Heat distress reduced (p < 0.05) analyzed carcass protein (18.9 vs 18.3%) and predicted protein (18.2 vs 17.5%). Predicted equation values for carcass fat, protein, ash, and energy were correlated with the chemically analyzed values at r=0.96, 0.77, 0.86, and 0.79, respectively. Results suggest that prediction equations based on DM and SG may be used to estimate carcass fat, protein, ash, and energy contents of broilers consuming diets that differ in caloric density (2,800 to $3,574kcal\;ME_n/kg$) and for broilers exposed to either constant ($24^{\circ}C$) or cycling high (24 to $35^{\circ}C$) ambient temperatures during 49-d rearing period tested in the present study.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2004

Soluble proteins of silkworm hemolymph were investigated by means of isoelectric focusing (IEF). The protein spectra during ontogenesis of races and inter-races hybrids kept in Bulgaria was studied. A total of 51 protein bands in the hemolymph from fourth larval instar to imago were ascertained. Stage specific expression was established. The specific expression of some protein bands in the individual spectra manifest phenotype of gene determinate polymorphism (HP F, HP J, HP K, HP L, HP Q - in the zone with pH gradient 3.5-6.2 and HP K, HP L, HP N, HP P, HP T - in the zone with pH gradient 9.5 - 6.2). Breed specific expression was observed. On the basis of the obtained results, it was established that the investigated breeds are heterogeneous and the isoelectric focusing method is successful when specifying the inner-race and inter-race polymorphism in silkworm.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.71-75
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• 1997

Male specific protein (MSP) was identified and purified from the hemolymph of Galleria melloneffa L. by electrophoresis and anion exchange chromatography. MSP has a native molecular weight of 55 kDa as determined by gel filtration chromatography and consists of a single unit with the apparent molecular weight of 27 kDa and has the pl of approximately 5.8. MSP is present in the hemolymph from day 8 pupae throughout the male adult. MSP was also found in pupal fat body, adult fat body, and adult testis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.287-299
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• 1994

Plasma protein which has been known as one of nonspecific immunostimulators was added to feedstuff to examine its effect on the enhancement of cellular immune response in porcine immune system. A total of 40 piglets, 20 male and 20 female each, were fed for 30 days with or without plasma protein. The peripheral blood were collected and analyzed for the investigation of leukocyte subpopulations and their activities by using a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific to porcine leukocyte differentiation antigens and flow cytometry. The results obtained as follows. 1. Subpopulations expressing major histocompatibility complex(MHC) class I antigen were $96.2{\pm}3.1%$ and $86.6{\pm}3.8%$ in piglets fed with plasma protein and in piglets fed without plasma protein, respectively. 2. Proportion of leukocyte subpopulation expressing MHC class II antigens were significantly higher in the piglets fed with plasma protein than ones without plasma protein. The proportion was $27.6{\pm}3.6%$ and $16.6{\pm}2.2%$ in MHC class II DQ antigen, and $28.1{\pm}2.0%$ and $20.0{\pm}0.3%$ in MHC class II DR antigen, respectively. 3. A significant increase in the proportion of cells expressing poCD2 was not found in piglets fed plasma protein. 4. Proportion of subpopulation expressed porcine(Po) CD4 antigens which specific to helper T lymphocytes were not increased (18.3-19.1% vs. 25.6-28.8%), rather slightly decreased, in plasma protein-treated group. 5. The most important increase of proportion in plasma protein-treated group was the leukocyte subpopulation specific to $poCD8^+$ T cytotoxic/suppressor lymphocytes. The expression level was significantly higher up to 45.9-47.1% in plasma protein-treated group in comparing with 29.7-33.0% in non-plasma protein-treated group. 6. Lymphoblastogenetic responses using different concentrations of Con A mitogen and plasma protein has found that the responses of lymphocyte from piglets fed plasma protein was significantly activated (p<0.01). The activities measured by 3[H]-thymidine incorporation showed 3-6 times stronger in plasma protein-treated group than those in non-plasma protein-treated group. The study has concluded that plasma protein, which has known as a nonspecific immunostimulator, may have an immunoenhancing activities in porcine lymphoid system by increase the activated cell proportions and their blastogenetic properties which is critical to host immune responses.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2000

Purpose: The plcr of spot urine has been uised to predict the timed urine protein excretion. Although this method reduces errors caused by variations in urine volume, it is relatively thconvenient and expensive. Recently, a more rapid and less expensive screening method with specific gravity(SG) has been reported, and we have examined whether estimated-creatinine(Cr-est) with urine 5G could be used in place of urine creatinine to predict 24-hour collected urine protein excretion in children. Methods: We had retrospectively analyzed protein, creatinine and urine SG in randomized spot urine samples of 147 patients from March 1998 till June 1998 in Korea university Guro hospital and compared the urinary protein creatinine ratio(P/Cr) with the protein estimated-creatinine ratio(P/Cr-est). We compared the correlation of urinary creatinine vs-urine 5G with the timed urine pretein excretion. Results: 1) urine SG accurately estimated urine creatinine concentration (r=0.407, P<0.001, Cr=SG x 4485.82-4482.87). 2) P/Cr correlated with urine protein excretion measured in a 24-hour urine collection (r=0.771, P<0.001, 24-hour collected urine protein : 0.338 x (P/Cr) 4+667.885). 3) P/Cr-est correlated with a 24-hour collected urine protein (r=0.723, P<0.001, 24-hour collected urine protein =0.354 x (P/Cr-est)+726.044), Conclusions: These results suggest that P/Cr-est with urine SG could be useful method for screening proteinuria in children.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2009

Among signal transduction systems by protein phosphorylation Akt/PKB protein kinase which is one of serine/threonine kinases, is known to regulate the survival and death of the cell and glucose metabolism. Thus, Akt/PKB protein kinase has been used as one of the target proteins to find anti-cancer agents from natural products. In this study, human Akt/PKB protein kinase was expressed in Escherichia coli expression system for the mass production. Human Akt/PKB protein kinase expressed in E. coli formed inclusion body under the general condition. However, most of the expressed protein was solubilized under the culture temperature at $27^{\circ}C$ and 0.01-0.09 mM of IPTG for induction of the protein expression. The expressed protein was purified using $Ni^{2+}$-NTA agarose column and confirmed by using anti-Akt antibody. Subsequently, the purified human Akt/PKB protein kinase was activated by in vitro phosphorylation using cellular extract containing kinases. The activated protein was confirmed to phosphorylate the specific fluorescent peptide specially designed as the artificial substrate for Akt/PKB protein kinase.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.238-246
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• 2005

Rice yield and protein content have been shown to be highly variable across paddy fields. In order to characterize this spatial variability of rice within a field, two-year experiments were conducted in 2002 and 2003 in a large-scale rice field of $6,600m^2$ In year 2004, an experiment was conducted to know if variable rate treatment (VRT) of N fertilizer, that was prescribed for site-specific management at panicle initiation stage, could reduce spatial variation in yield and protein content of rice while increasing yield compared to conventional uniform N topdressing (UN, 33kg N/ha at PIS) method. VRT nitrogen prescription for each grid was calculated based on the nitrogen (N) uptake (from panicle initiation to harvest) required for target rice protein content of $6.8\%$, natural soil N supply, and recovery of top-dressed N fertilizer. The required N uptake for target rice protein content was calculated from the equations to predict rice yield and protein content from plant growth parameters at panicle initiation stage (PIS) and N uptake from PIS to harvest. This model· equations were developed from the data obtained from the previous two-year experiments. The plant growth parameters for the calculation of the required N were predicted non-destructively by canopy reflectance measurement. Soil N supply for each grid was obtained from the experiment of year 2003, and N recovery was assumed to be $60\%$ according to the previous reports. The prescribed VRT N ranged from 0 to 110kg N/ha with an average of 57kg/ha that was higher than 33 kg/ha of UN. The results showed that VRT application successfully worked not only to reduce spatial variability of rice yield and protein content but also to increase rough rice yield by 960kg/ha. The coefficient of variation (CV) for rice yield and protein content was reduced significantly to $8.1\%$ and $7.1\%$ in VRT from $14.6\%$ and $13.0\%$ in UN, respectively. And also the average protein content of milled rice in VRT showed very similar value of target protein content of $6.8\%$. In conclusion the procedure used in this paper was believed to be reliable and promising method for reducing within-field spatial variability of rice yield and protein content. However, inexpensive, reliable, and fast estimation methods of natural N supply and plant growth and nutrition status should be prepared before this method could be practically used for site-specific crop management in large-scale rice field.