• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2012

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in adults. Microtubule associated protein tau is abnormally phosphorylated in AD and aggregates as paired helical filaments (PHFs) in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). NFTs are the most common intraneuronal inclusion in the brains of patients with AD and have been implicated in mediating neuronal cell death and cognitive deficit. Aberrant phosphorylation of tau is an early pathological event in AD, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. MAP kinases are a family of Serine/Threonine (Ser/Thr) kinases that involved hyper - phosphorylation of tau in AD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of treadmill exercise on phosphorylation of tau level and activation of MAPKs including JNK, ERK, p38-MAPK. To address this, Tg mouse model of AD, Tg-NSE/hTau 23, which expresses human tau 23 in the brain, was chosen. Animals were subjected to treadmill exercise for 12 weeks from 24 months of age. Treadmill exercise in Tg group improved cognitive function compared with Tg-SED group in watermaze test. In addition, treadmill exercised Tg mice significantly reduced the activation of JNK54/46, p38-MAPK and tau (Ser404, Ser202, Thr231), and increased activation of ERK44/42 in cerebral cortex. These results suggest that treadmill exercise may provide a therapeutic potential to alleviate the tau pathology like AD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.347-355
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• 1999

Background: Phospholipase C(PLC) plays a central role in cellular signal transduction and is important in cellular growth, differentiation and transformation. There are currently ten known mammalian isozymes of PLC reported to this date. Hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate($PIP_2$) by PLC produces two important second messengers, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate($IP_3$) and diacylglycerol. PLC-${\gamma}1$, previously, was known to be activated mainly through growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase. Other mechanisms of activating PLC-yl have been reported such as activation through tau protein in the presence of arachidonic acid in bovine brain and activation by $IP_3$, phosphatidic acid, etc. Very recently, another PLC-${\gamma}1$ activator protein such as tau has been found in bovine lung tissue, which now is considered to be AHNAK protein. But there has been no report concerning AHNAK and its associated disease to this date. In this study, we examined the expression of the PLC-${\gamma}1$ activator, AHNAK, in lung cancer specimens and their paired normal. Methods: From surgically resected human lung cancer tissues taken from twenty-eight patients and their paired normal counterparts, we evaluated expression level of AHNAK protein using immunoblot analysis of total tissue extract Immunohistochemical stain was performed with primary antibody against AHNAK protein. Results: Twenty-two among twenty-eight lung cancer tissues showed overexpression of AHNAK protein (eight of fourteen squamous cell lung cancers, all of fourteen adenocarcinomas). The resulting bands were multiple ranging from 70 to 200 kDa in molecular weight and each band was indistinct and formed a smear, reflecting mobility shift mainly due to proteolysis during extraction process. On immunohistochemistry, lung cancer tissues showed a very heavy, dense staining with anti-AHNAK protein antibody as compared to the surrounding normal lung tissue, coresponding well with the results of the western blot Conclusion: The overexpression of PLC-${\gamma}1$ activator protein, AHNAK in lung cancer may provide evidence that the AHNAK protein and PLC-${\gamma}1$ act in concerted manner in carcinogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.522-527
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• 2017

A large number of transcriptional activation domains (TADs) are intrinsically unstructured, meaning they are devoid of a three-dimensional structure. The fact that these TADs are transcriptionally active without forming a 3-D structure raises the question of what features in these domains enable them to function. One of two TADs in human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) is located at its N-terminus and is responsible for ~70% of the transcriptional activity of hGR. This 58-residue intrinsically-disordered TAD, named tau1c in an earlier study, was shown to form three helices under trifluoroethanol, which might be important for its activity. We carried out heteronuclear multi-dimensional NMR experiments on hGR tau1c in a more physiological aqueous buffer solution and found that it forms three helices that are ~30% pre-populated. Since pre-populated helices in several TADs were shown to be key elements for transcriptional activity, the three pre-formed helices in hGR tau1c delineated in this study should be critical determinants of the transcriptional activity of hGR. The presence of pre-structured helices in hGR tau1c strongly suggests that the existence of pre-structured motifs in target-unbound TADs is a very broad phenomenon.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.508-514
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• 2006

In this study, the double-stranded DNA-dependent activities of Deinococcus radiodurans RecA protein (Dr RecA) were characterized. The interactions of the Dr RecA protein with double-stranded DNA were determined, especially dsDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis by the Dr RecA protein and the DNA strand exchange reaction, in which multiple branch points exist on a single RecA protein-DNA complex. A nucleotide cofactor (ATP or dATP ) was required for the Dr RecA protein binding to duplex DNA. In the presence of dATP, the nucleation step in the binding process occurred more rapidly than in the presence of ATP. Salts inhibited the binding of the Dr RecA protein to double-stranded DNA. Double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase activities showed a different sensitivity to anion species. Glutamate had only a minimal effect on the double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase activities, up to a concentration of 0.7 M. In the competition experiment for Dr RecA protein binding, the Dr RecA protein manifested a higher affinity to double-stranded DNA than was observed for single-stranded DNA.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.452-456
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• 2001

Surface plasmon resonance has been used for a biospecific interaction analysis between two macromolecules in real time. Determination of an antibody that is capable of specifically interacting with the native form of antigen is very useful for many biological and medical applications. Twenty monoclonal antibodies against the $\alpha$ subunit of E. coli DNA polymerase III were screened for specifically recognizing the native form of protein using surface plasmon resonance. Only four monoclonal antibodies among them specifically recognized the native $\alpha$ protein, although all of the antibodies were able to specifically interact with the denatured $\alpha$ subunit. These antibodies failed to interfere with the interaction between the $\tau$ and $\alpha$ subunits that were required for dimerization of the two polymerases at the DNA replication fork. This real-time analysis using surface plasmon resonance provides an easy method to screen antibodies that are capable of binding to the native form of the antigen molecule and determine the biological interaction between the two molecules.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.133-140
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• 2005

Although amino acids are substrates for the synthesis of proteins and nitrogen-containing compounds, it has become more and more clear over the years that these nutrients are also extremely important as regulators of body protein turnover. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) together or simply leucine alone stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein breakdown in skeletal muscle. However, it was only recently that the mechanism(s) involved in the regulation of protein turnover by BCAAs has begun to be defined. The acceleration of protein synthesis by these amino acids seems to occur at the level of peptide chain initiation. Oral administration of leucine to food-deprived rats enhances muscle protein synthesis, in part, through activation of the mRNA binding step of translation initiation. Despite our knowledge of the induction of protein synthesis by BCAAs, there are few studies on the suppression of protein degradation. The recent findings that oral administration of leucine rapidly reduced $N^{\tau}$-methylhistidine (3-methylhistidine; MeHis) release from isolated muscle, an index of myofibrillar protein degradation, indicate that leucine suppresses myofiblilar protein degradation. The details of the molecular mechanism by which leucine inhibits proteolysis is just beginning to be elucidated. The purpose of this report was to review the current understanding of how BCAAs act as regulators of protein turnover.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2015

An 8 week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate whether methionine and cysteine would effectively spare taurine supplementation on growth performance in juvenile rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus. Triplicate groups of 25 fish averaging $2.74{\pm}0.04g$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) were fed one of the experimental diets. Five experimental diets including a fish meal based control diet were prepared by adding sulfur amino acid at fixed level of 1.0% and taurine at graded levels of 0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0% ($S+Tau_0$, $S+Tau_{0.25}$, $S+Tau_{0.5}$ and $S+Tau_{1.0}$, respectively). After the feeding trial, growth performance of fish fed the $S+Tau_{0.25}$, $S+Tau_{0.5}$ and $S+Tau_{1.0}$ diets were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of fish fed the Control diet. ANOVA test suggested that when sulfur amino acid were supplemented to the diets, the optimum taurine supplementation level could be 0.25% in the diet, and broken line analysis of weight gain indicated a level of 0.33%, for positive effects on growth and feed utilization. Fish whole-body protein content and taurine concentration steadily increased with the increase of dietary level in the presence of sulfur amino acid in the diets. On the other hand, whole-body lipid content significantly decreased with the incremental levels of dietary taurine. In conclusion, the results of the present study clearly indicated that dietary supplementation of methionine and cysteine at a level of 1% could spare 0.25 to 0.33% of taurine in juvenile O. fasciatus diets.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.1045-1051
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• 2018

The developmentally regulated GTP binding protein 2 (DRG2) is involved in the control of cell growth and differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that DRG2 regulates microtubule dynamics in HeLa cells. Analysis of live imaging of the plus-ends of microtubules with EB1-EGFP showed that DRG2 deficiency (shDRG2) significantly reduced the growth rate of HeLa cells. Depletion of DRG2 increased 'slow and long-lived' subpopulations, but decreased 'fast and short-lived' subpopulations of microtubules. Microtubule polymerization inhibitor exhibited a reduced response in shDRG2 cells. Using immunoprecipitation, we show that DRG2 interacts with tau, which regulates microtubule polymerization. Collectively, these data demonstrate that DRG2 may aid in affecting microtubule dynamics in HeLa cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 1990

To examine the effects of sequence variations near the transcriptional start site on the rate of formation of the open complexes at bacteriophage $\lambda P_{R}$ promoter, two mutant promoters were created by site-specific mutagenesis using synthetic oligonucleotides. Mutant I coatains changes at positions -3 and -4 from TT to CC, thus having a 6-bp long G/C stretch between -10 region and transciptional start site (+1). Mutant II has changes at positions -5 and -6 from GG to AA, thereby having a 9-bp long A/T stretch between positions -11 and -3. Selective filter binding assays were performed to measure the rate of formation of the open complexes between the wild-type or two mutant $P_{R}$ promoters on 664 bp fragments and E. coli RNA polymerase at two temperatures. At 37.deg.C, the wild-type and two mutants showed similar rates for the formation of open complex. The second order rate constant $k_{a}$ and $\tau _{int}$, as determined from the .tau.-plot analysis, were $(6.0\pm0.4)\times10^{6}M^{-1}sec^{-1}$ and $11\pm5$sec, respectively. At 18.deg.C, however, the wild-type and two mutant promoters showed differences in the kinetic parameters. k for the wild-type promoter was (2.2$\pm$0.1)\times 10^{6}M^{-1}sec^{-1}$ and $\tau _{int}$ was 76$\pm$sec. Mutant I and II exhibited differences mainly in the rate of isomerization ($\tau_{int,I}=91\pm$10 sec, int,II=34$\pm$ sec), whereas the second order rate constant $k_{a}$ was similar to the wild type value. This result implies that at $18^{\circ}C$, the isomerization rate is determined by both protein conformational change and DNA melting, which are separable kinetically according to the 3-step mechanism of Roe et al.(1984,1985), and that the base changes affected mainly the rate of DNA melting as predicted.lting as predicted.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.867-874
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• 2021

Epalrestat (EPS) is a brain penetrant aldose reductase inhibitor, an approved drug currently used for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. At near-plasma concentration, EPS induces glutathione biosynthesis, which in turn reduces oxidative stress in the neuronal cells. In this study, we found that EPS reduces neurodegeneration by inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative injury, mitochondrial membrane damage, apoptosis and tauopathy. EPS treatment up to 50 µM did not show any toxic effect on SH-SY5Y cell line (neuroblastoma cells). However, we observed toxic effect at a concentration of 100 µM and above. At 50 µM concentration, EPS showed better antioxidant activity against H₂O₂ (100 µM)-induced cytotoxicity, ROS formation and mitochondrial membrane damage in retinoic acid-differentiated SH-SY5Y cell line. Furthermore, our study revealed that 50 µM of EPS concentration reduced the glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK3-β) expression and total tau protein level in H₂O₂ (100 µM)-treated cells. Findings from this study confirms the therapeutic efficacy of EPS on regulating Alzheimer's disease (AD) by regulating GSK3-β and total tau proteins phosphorylation, which helped to restore the cellular viability. This process could also reduce toxic fibrillary tangle formation and disease progression of AD. Therefore, it is our view that an optimal concentration of EPS therapy could decrease AD pathology by reducing tau phosphorylation through regulating the expression level of GSK3-β.