• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권12호
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• pp.2241-2244
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• 2017

The structure of concanavalin A (ConA) has been studied intensively owing to its specific interactions with carbohydrates and its heterometal ($Ca^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$) coordination. Most structures from X-ray crystallography have shown ConA as a dimer or tetramer, because the complex formation requires specific crystallization conditions. Here, we reported the monomeric structure of ConA with a resolution of $1.6{\AA}$, which revealed that metal coordination could trigger sugar-binding ability. The calcium coordination residue, Asn14, changed the orientation of carbohydrate-binding residues and biophysical details, including structural information, providing valuable clues for the development and application of detection kits using ConA.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.179-186
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• 2002

Objective: Lectins are cell-agglutinating and sugar specific proteins or glycoproteins of non-immune origin that precipitate glycoconjugates having saccharides of appropriate complementarity. Because of these properties, plant lectins have been used to help characterize the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins in the zona pellucida (ZP) of several mammalian species including pigs. Treatment of oocytes with various lectins blocks sperm binding to the ZP in various mammalian species. This study was undertaken to examine the distribution of sugar residues in the ZP of pig oocytes matured in vitro and the ability of spermatozoa to bind to ZP and in vitro penetration in oocytes treated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled lectins. Materials and Methods: The lectins of Banderiaea simplicifolia (BS-II, bind to $\beta$-D-N-acetylglucosamine), Canavalin ensiformis (Con A, bind to $\alpha$-D-Mannose), Lens culinaris (LCA, bind to a-D-Mannose), Ricinus communis (RCA-I, bind to $\beta$-D-Galactose) and Ulex europaeus (UEA-I, bind to $\alpha$-L-Fucose) were examined for spermatozoa penetration, binding capacity to ZP and distribution of lectins. Results: The penetration rates were significantry (p<0.05) higher in control oocytes (63%) than those treated with all lectins, but penetration rates ($40{\sim}49%$) were simililar in group treated with lectins. The incidence of monospermy was similar in oocytes untreated and UEA-I, but it was higher in oocytes treated with BS-II, Con A, RCA-I and LCA. The porcine oocytes cultured for 48 h in TC-199 medium were freed from cumulus cells and treated for 30 min with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled lectins. When examined under fluorescein illumination, higher (p<0.001) proportions of oocytes showed fluorescein of zona pellucida after treatment with Con A (93%), LCA (93%) and RCA-I (100%) than BS-II (37%) and UEA-I (50%). All of the oocytes treated with RCA-I exhibited strong fluorescein in the outer region of the zona pellucida while those treated with LCA exhibited strong fluorescein throughout the zona pellucida. BS-II bounded mainly to the outer region and UEA-I bounded mainly to the inner region of the zona pellucida, with either strong or weak fluorescein. At 120 min after insemination in vitro, fewer spermatozoa were bound to the zona pellucida of the oocytes treated with BS-II, Con-A and RCA-I. Of the lectins, Con A most inhibited sperm binding. Conclusions: These results suggest that $\beta$-D-Galactose residues in the porcine zona pellucida may act as primary sperm receptors and inducers of the sperm acrosome reaction and these sugar residues may be involved in the block to polyspermy.

• 한국식물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국식물학회 1985년도 워크샵 및 심포지엄 북한산국립공원의 식생
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• pp.35-48
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• 1985

Plastids, which are organelles unique to plant cells, bear their own genome that is organized into DNA-protein complexes (nucleoids). Regulation of gene expression in the plastid has been extensively investigated because this organelle plays an important role in photosynthesis. Few attempts, however, have been made to characterize the regulation of plastid gene expression at the chromosomal structure, using plastid nucleoids. In this report, we summarize the recent progress in the characterization of DNA-binding proteins in plastids, with special emphasis on CND41, a DNA binding protein, which we recently identified in the choloroplast nucleoids from photomixotrophically cultured tobacco cells. CND41 is a protein of 502 amino acids which consisted of a transit peptide of 120 amino acids and a mature protein of 382 amino acids. The N-terminal of the 'mature' protein has lysine-rich region which is essential for DNA-binding. CNA41 also showed significant identities to some aspartyl proteases. Protease activity of purified CND41 has been recently confirmed and characterized. On the other hand, characterization of accumulation of CND41 both in wild type and transgenic tobacco with reduced amount of CND41 suggests that CND41 is a negative regulator in chloroplast gene expression. Further investigation indicated that gene expression of CND41 is cell-specifically and developmentally regulated as well as sugar-induced expression. The reduction of CND41 expression in transgenic tobacco also brought the stunted plant growth due to the reduced cell length in stem. GA3 treatment on apical meristem reversed the dwarf phenotype in the transformants. Effects of CND41 expression on GA biosynthesis will be discussed

• 한국식물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국식물학회 1999년도 제13회 식물생명공학심포지움 New Approaches to Understand Gene Function in Plants and Application to Plant Biotechnology
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• pp.51-56
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• 1999

Plastids, which are organelles unique to plant cells, bear their own genome that is organized into DNA-protein complexes (nucleoids). Regulation of gene expression in the plastid has been extensively investigated because this organelle plays an important role in photosynthesis. Few attempts, however, have been made to characterize the regulation of plastid gene expression at the chromosomal structure, using plastid nucleoids. In this report, we summarize the recent progress in the characterization of DNA-binding proteins in plastids, with special emphasis on CND41, a DNA binding protein, which we recently identified in the choloroplast nucleoids from photomixotrophically cultured tobacco cells. CND41 is a protein of 502 amino acids which consisted of a transit peptide of 120 amino acids and a mature protein of 382 amino acids. The N-terminal of the 'mature' protein has lysine-rich region which is essential for DNA-binding. CNA41 also showed significant identities to some aspartyl proteases. Protease activity of purified CND41 has been recently confirmed and characterized. On the other hand, characterization of accumulation of CND41 both in wild type and transgenic tobacco with reduced amount of CND41 suggests that CND41 is a negative regulator in chloroplast gene expression. Further investigation indicated that gene expression of CND41 is cell-specifically and developmentally regulated as well as sugar-induced expression. The reduction of CND41 expression in transgenic tobacco also brought the stunted plant growth due to the reduced cell length in stem. GA3 treatment on apical meristem reversed the dwarf phenotype in the transformants. Effects of CND41 expression on GA biosynthesis will be discussed.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.268-275
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• 2014

The harshness of legionellosis differs from mild Pontiac fever to potentially fatal Legionnaire's disease. The increasing development of drug resistance against legionellosis has led to explore new novel drug targets. It has been found that phosphoglucosamine mutase, phosphomannomutase, and phosphoglyceromutase enzymes can be used as the most probable therapeutic drug targets through extensive data mining. Phosphoglucosamine mutase is involved in amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. The purpose of this study was to predict the potential target of that specific drug. For this, the 3D structure of phosphoglucosamine mutase of Legionella pneumophila (strain Paris) was determined by means of homology modeling through Phyre2 and refined by ModRefiner. Then, the designed model was evaluated with a structure validation program, for instance, PROCHECK, ERRAT, Verify3D, and QMEAN, for further structural analysis. Secondary structural features were determined through self-optimized prediction method with alignment (SOPMA) and interacting networks by STRING. Consequently, we performed molecular docking studies. The analytical result of PROCHECK showed that 95.0% of the residues are in the most favored region, 4.50% are in the additional allowed region and 0.50% are in the generously allowed region of the Ramachandran plot. Verify3D graph value indicates a score of 0.71 and 89.791, 1.11 for ERRAT and QMEAN respectively. Arg419, Thr414, Ser412, and Thr9 were found to dock the substrate for the most favorable binding of S-mercaptocysteine. However, these findings from this current study will pave the way for further extensive investigation of this enzyme in wet lab experiments and in that way assist drug design against legionellosis.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.195-199
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• 1996

$crp^{\ast}$ 유전자가 도입된 대장균 MK2001($crp^{{\ast}1}$}, cya::km)을 숙주로 사용하여 mal 유전자 발현을 촉진시키는 유전자의 하나인 sfs1(sugar fermentation stimulation)의 구조해석 결과에 의하면, 잠정적인 sfs1의 promoter 영역에는 CRP 단백질과의 결합영역으로 보이는 염기배열이 존재하였다. 본 실험에서는 sfs1 유전자의 cAMP-CRP에 의한 발현 조절을 확인하고자, lacZ 와의 융합 유전자를 작성하였다. 작성된 융합 유전자는 cya 결손주인 Tp2010에서 cAMP의 첨가에 의해 ${\beta}-galactosidase$ 활성이 크게 증가하였으며, Western blotting의 실험에서도 같은 결과를 나타냈다. in vivo에서 발현이 확인된 전사산물은 cAMP에 의해 전사 촉진이 일어났으며, CRP의 결합부위로 예상되는 DNA 영역은 cAMP가 존재하면 CRP 단백질과 결합하는 특성을 나타내었다. 이상의 결과로 보아, sfs1 유전자의 발현은 UMP-CRP에 의한 전사촉진 현상을 받는 것으로 나타났다.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.111-117
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• 1995

CRP (cAMP receptor protein)은 cAMP와 결합하여 cAMP-CRP 복합체를 형성하여 전사조절의 조절인자로서 작용한다. crp 유전자에 변이를 도입하여 cAMP의 비존재 상태에서 cAMP-CRP와 비슷한 기능을 가진 crp 유전자가 도입된 대장균 MK2001 (crp, cya::km)을 숙주로 사용하여 cAMP 혹은 cGMP의 비존재하에서도 mal 유전자의 발현을 촉진시키는 유전자 sfs (sugar fermentation stimulation) 수 종을 클로닝 하였다. 본 실험에서는 이미 밝혀진 nlp (Ner like protein) 유전자와 같이, sfs의 새로운 유전자를 탐색하여, 그 중 sfs4의 2126 bp 전 염기배열을 결정하고, 잠정적인 sfs4의 promoter 영역에는 CRP 단백질과의 결합 DNA 공통 염기배열(5' AAT TGTGA ACACCA TCACC CGT 3')이 존재함을 확인했다. lacZ 융합 유전자를 작성하여 TP2010R1 MK2001의 균주에서 cAMP를 첨가할 경우 각각 2.3배, 1.8배의 ${\beta}-galactosidase$ 활성이 증가하는 것으로 보아 sfs4는 cAMP-CRP에 의해 발현 조절을 받는 것으로 나타났다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.248-261
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• 1994

연구배경 : Lectin은 탄수화물의 특정한 당잔기에 높은 친화성과 특이성을 가지므로 이러한 lectin-sugar 상호작용을 이용하여 사람 폐결핵결절에서 이를 구성하는 주된 성분인 건락성 괴사 상피양세포, 림프구 및 섬유층에 존재하는 탄수화물의 종류와 분포에 대해 알아보고자, 본 연구를 실시하였다. 방법 : 사람 폐결핵 절제 조직에서, 13종의 lectin을 사용하여 조직화학염색을 시행하였다. 결과: 1) 건락성 괴사부에서 BS $I-B_4$는 모든 구성성분에서, BS I는 변연부에 있는 일부의 세포성분을 제외하고 나머지 구성성분 모두에서 음성반응을 나타내었다. 그러나 나머지 lectin들은 건락성 괴사부에서 다양한 형태의 렉틴결합반응을 나타내었다. 2) 상피양세포들은 세포질에서의 반응 양상에 따라 크게 세 군으로 나눌 수 있었다. 첫째, DBA, UEA I 및 LCA는 대부분 중등도 이상의 강한 양성반응을 나타내었다. 둘째, WGA, s-WGA, PNA, SBA, VVL, ECL, PHA-L 및 PHA-E는 세포에 따라 다양한 형태의 반응양상을 나타내었다. 셋째, BS I 및 BS $I-B_4$는 음성반응을 나타내었다. 상피양세포의 세포막에 대한 결합반응을 살펴보았을 때, 첫째, ECL, PHA-L 및 PHA-E는 대부분 강한 양성반응을 보여주었다. 둘째, WGA, s-WGA 및 PNA는 세포에 따라 양성 및 음성반응이 혼재하는 양상을 나타내었다. 셋째, BS I, BS $I-B_4$, UEA I, DBA 및 VVL은 음성반응을 나타내었다. 3) 상피양세포사이물질들은 건락성 괴사부의 세포사이물질에 대한 lectin 결합 양상과 유사한 반응 양상을 나타내었다. 4) WGA, ECL, PHA-L, PHA-E 및 LCA들은 림프구에 강한 양성반응을 나타내었다. 5) SBA는 건락성 괴사부를 둘러싸는 섬유층의 외측에 위치하는 혈관 내피층에서 대체로 양성반응을 보였으나, 섬유층내의 혈관 내피층에서는 대체로 음성반응을 나타내었다. 6) PNA는 섬유층의 외측지역에서 양성반응을 나타내었지만 그와는 대조적으로 내측지역의 세포사이물질에서 음성반응을 나타내었다. 결론 : 이상의 결과와 같이, 렉틴결합특성을 이용한 조직화학적 연구는 사람 폐결핵 결절의 여러 성분들에 존재하는 복합당질의 종류, 특성 및 분포, 그리고 연결핵결절 형성과정 동안에 일어나는 복합당질 조성의 변화에 관한 유용한 정보를 제공해 주었으며, 이러한 결과들은 결핵결절의 병리학적 연구에 도움이 될 것으로 사료된다.