• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1422-1428
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• 2006

An ABC transporter apparatus of the Gram-negative bacterial type I secretion pathway can be used as a secretory protein expression system in Escherichia coli. Four types of coexpression systems for the Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase gene, tliA, and its cognate ABC transporter gene cluster, tliDEF, were constructed. When the relative expression levels were changed by adding different concentrations of IPTG, the secretion (16.9 U/ml of culture) of TliA in E. coli [pTliDEFA-223+pACYC184] was significantly higher than E. coli [pKK223-3+pTliDEFA-184] secreting the lowest level of TliA (5.2 U/ml of culture). Maximal accumulation of the lipase secreted occurred in the mid-exponential phase, implying that the efficient protein secretion via an ABC transporter was restricted only to actively growing cells. Finally, the secretion level of TliA in E. coli [pTliDEFA-223+pACYC184] was increased to 26.4 U/ml by inducing gene expression at the culture initiation time. These results indicate that a significant increase in the ABC transporter-dependent protein secretion can be achieved by simply controlling the relative expression levels between the ABC transporter and its passenger protein, even in the recombinant E. coli cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.57-61
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• 2005

The number of sites at which a protein can be readily cleaved by a proteolytic enzyme is greatly influenced by its three-dimensional structure. For native, properly-folded proteins both the rate of cleavage and number of sites at which cleavage takes place are usually much less than for the denatured protein. In order to compare the tertiary structure of recombinant HepG2 type glucose transporter with that of its native counterpart in the erythrocyte, the pattern of tryptic cleavage of the protein expressed in insect cell membranes was therefore examined. After 30 minutes digestion, a fragment of approximate Mr 19,000-21,000 was generated. In addition to this, there were two less intensely stained fragments of apparent Mr 28,000 and 17,000. The pattern of labelling was similar up to 2 hours of digestion. However, the fragments of Mr 19,000-21,000 and Mr 17,000 were no longer detectable after 4 hours digestion. The observation of a very similar pattern of fragments yielded by tryptic digestion of the HepG2 type transporter expressed in insect cells suggests that the recombinant protein exhibits a tertiary structure similar if not identical to that of its human counterpart. Also, the endogenous sugar transporter(s) present in Sf21 cells did not bind cytochalasin B, the potent transporter inhibitor. Therefore, the baculovirus/Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf) cell expression system could be very useful for production of large amounts of human glucose transporters, heterologously.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.145-145
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• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.314-319
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• 2001

In the present study, effects of $\beta$-alanine, a known taurine antagonist for its structural similarity, on the adaptive regulation and kinetic behavior of the taurine transporter were investigated in the HT-29, human colon carcinoma cell line. Pretreatment of the cell with $\beta$-alanine(10mM) for varying periods from 3 to 30 hrs significantly reduced the taurine uptake compared to the value for control cells. This decrease in the taurine transporter activity was dependent on the incubation time with $\beta$-alanine, and the maximal down-regulation of the transporter activity was observed in cells pretreated with $\beta$-alanine for 24 hrs (25% of the control value, p<0.01). The taurine transporter appears to bind exclusively with $\beta$-alanine in the HT-29 cells since the same concentration of $\alpha$-alanine added in the culture medium for 24 hrs did not influence the taurine uptake. Kinetic analyses of the taurine transporter activity was performed in the HT-29 cell line with varying taurine concentration (5~60$\mu$M) in the uptake medium. Active taurine uptake was significantly lower in $\beta$-alanine pretreated cells compared to the value for control cells in the range of taurine concentration used in the experiment (p<0.001). The cells pretreated with $\beta$-alanine showed a 50% lower maximal velocity (Vmax, 1.7$\pm$2.0 nmole.mg $protein^{-1}$.$30min^{-1}$), and a 99% higher Michaelis constant (Km, 40.3$\pm$7.6$\mu$M) than the control values (3.3$\pm$1.9 nmole.mg $protein^{-1}$.$30min^{-1}$, and 20.3$\pm$2.1$\mu$M, respectively). These results on kinetic data suggest that $\beta$-alanine induced down-regulation of the taurine transporter activity was associated with decreases in both maximal velocity and affinity of the transporter.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.107-122
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• 2001

A function of the kidney is elimination of a variety of xenobiotics ingested and wasted endogenous compounds from the body. Organic anion and cation transport systems play important roles to protect the body from harmful substances. The renal proximal tubule is the primary site of carrier-mediated transport from blood into urine. During the last decade, molecular cloning has identified several families of multispecific organic anion and cation transporters, such as organic anion transporter (OAT), organic cation transporter (OCT), and organic anion-transporting polypeptide (oatp). Additional findings also suggested ATP-dependent organic ion transporters such as MDR1/P-glycoprotein and the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) as efflux pump. The substrate specificity of these transporters is multispecific. These transporters also play an important role as drug transporters. Studies on their functional properties and localization provide information in renal handling of drugs. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on molecular properties and pharmacological significance of renal organic ion transporters.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.161-166
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• 2001

Most mammalian cells take up glucose by passive transport proteins in the plasma membranes. The best known of these proteins is the human erythrocyte glucose transporter, GLUT1. High levels of heterologous expression far the transporter are necessary for the investigation of its three-dimensional structure by crystallization. To achieve this, the baculovirus expression system has become popular choice. However, Spodoptera frugiperda Clone 9 (Sf9) cells, which are commonly employed as the host permissive cell line to support baculovirus replication and protein synthesis, grow well on TC-100 medium that contains 0.1% D-glucose as the major carbon source, suggesting the presence of endogenous glucose transporters. Furthermore, very little is known of the endogenous transporters properties of Sf9 cells. Therefore, human GLUT1 antibodies would play an important role for characterization of the GLUT1 expressed in insect cell. However, the successful use of such antibodies for characterization of GLUT1 expression m insect cells relies upon their specificity for the human protein and lack of cross-reaction with endogenous transporters. It is therefore important to determine the potential cross-reactivity of the antibodies with the endogenous insect cell glucose transporters. In the present study, the potential cross-reactivity of the human GLUT1 antibodies with the endogenous insect cell glucose transporters was examined by Western blotting. Neither the antibodies against intact GLUT1 nor those against the C-terminus labelled any band migrating in the region expected fur a protein of M$_r$ comparable to GLUT1, whereas these antibodies specifically recognized the human GLUT1. Specificity of the human GLUT1 antibodies tested was also shown by cross-reaction with the GLUT1 expressed in insect cells. In addition, the insect cell glucose transporter was found to have very low affinity for cytochalasin B, a potent inhibitor of human erythrocyte glucose transporter.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2001

The activity of taurine transporter is affected by various extracellular stimuli such as ion, hormone and stress. To assess effects of steroid hormones antral cyclosporin A (CsA) on the taurine transporter activity, murine monocytic RAW264.7 cell line was stimulated with dexamethasone (DM), triamcinolone (TA), cortisone (CS), hydrocortisone (HCS), prednisone (PSN), prednisolone (PSL) and methylprednisolone (MPSL) in the presence of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate(TPA). Treatment of TPA on the cell line led to significant reduction of taurine transporter activity. However, in case of stimulation of the cells with steroid hormones in the presence of TPA, all of them recovered TPA-induced reduction of the taurine transporter activity. Treatment of the cells with CsA led to significant reduction of the taurine transporter activity. Ionomycin (IM) recovered the reduced taurine transporter activity by CsA, but failed in the presence of EDTA, a calcium chelating agent. These results showed that glucocorticoid hormone recovered TPA-induced reduction of taurine transporter activity and that IM recovered CsA-induced reduction of the transporter activity by increasing intracellular free $Ca^{++}$ concentration.n.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.117-127
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• 2004

The heterodimeric amino acid transporter family is a subfamily of SLC7 solute transporter family which includes 14-transmembrane cationic amino acid transporters and 12-transmembrane heterodimeric amino acid transporters. The members of heterodimeric amino acid transporter family are linked via a disulfide bond to single membrane spanning glycoproteins such as 4F2hc (4F2 heavy chain) and rBAT $(related\;to\;b^0,\;^+-amino\;acid\;transporter)$. Six members are associated with 4F2hc and one is linked to rBAT. Two additional members were identified as ones associated with unknown heavy chains. The members of heterodimeric amino acid transporter family exhibit diverse substrate selectivity and are expressed in variety of tissues. They play variety of physiological roles including epithelial transport of amino acids as well as the roles to provide cells in general with amino acids for cellular nutrition. The dysfunction or hyperfunction of the members of the heterodimeric amino acid transporter family are involved in some diseases and pathologic conditions. The genetic defects of the renal and intestinal transporters $b^{0,+}AT/BAT1\;(b^{0,+}-type\;amino\;acid\;transporter/b^{0,+}-type\;amino\;acid\;transporter\;1)$ and $y^+LAT1\;(y^+L-type\;amino\;acid\;transporter\;1)$ result in the amino aciduria with sever clinical symptoms such as cystinuria and lysin uric protein intolerance, respectively. LAT1 is proposed to be involved in the progression of malignant tumor. xCT (x-C-type transporter) functions to protect cells against oxidative stress, while its over-function may be damaging neurons leading to the exacerbation of brain damage after brain ischemia. Because of broad substrate selectivity, system L transporters such as LAT1 transport amino acid-related compounds including L-Dopa and function as a drug transporter. System L also interacts with some environmental toxins with amino acid-related structure such as cysteine-conjugated methylmercury. Therefore, these transporter would be candidates for drug targets based on new therapeutic strategies.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2009

A cDNA clone encoding a MDR-like ABC transporter protein was isolated from Brassica rapa seedlings, through rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). This gene (named as Brmdr 1; GenBank accession no.: DQ296184 ) had a total length of 4222 bp with an open reading frame of 3900 bp, and encoded a predicted polypeptide of 1300 amino acids with a molecular weight of 143.1 kDa. The BrMDR1 protein shared 71.0, 62.5, 60.0 and 58.2% identity with other MDR proteins isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana (AAN28720), Coptis japonica (CjMDR), Gossypium hirsutum (GhMDR) and Triticum aestivum (TaMDR) at amino acid level, respectively. Southern blot analysis showed that Brmdr1 was a low-copy gene. Expression pattern analysis revealed that Brmdr1 constitutively expressed in the root, stem petals and stamens, but with lower expression in leaves and open flowers. The domains analysis showed that BrMDR1 protein possessed two transmembrane domains (TMDs) and two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) arranging in "TMD1-NBD1-TMD2-NBD2" direction, which is consistent with other MDR transporters. Within NBDs three characteristic motifs common to all ABC transporters, "Walker A", "Walker B" and C motif, were found. These results indicate that BrMDR1 is a MDR-like ABC transporter protein that may be involved in the transport and accumulation of secondary metabolites.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.211-215
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• 2002

The baculovirus/Sf9 cell expression can be employed as a powerful system for producing large amounts of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter, GLUT1 heterologously In order to exploit the system further, it is necessary to develop a convenient method for demonstrating that the transporter expressed in insect cells is biologically active. To achieve this, we have expressed the human CLUT1 in insect cells and photolabelled the expressed protein with [$^3$H] cytochalasin B, a potent inhibitor of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter. Subsequently, the labelled proteins were analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Membranes labelled with [$^3$H] cytochalasln B in the presence of L-Glucose yielded a single sharp peak of labelling of apparent $M_r$ 45,000 on SDS/polyacrylamide gels. The mobility of this peak corresponded exactly to that of the band detected by anti-glucose transporter antibodies on Western blots of membranes prepared from insect cells infected with recombinant virus. In addition, the sharpness of the radioactive peak provides further evidence for the conclusion that the expressed protein is much less heavily and heterogeneously glycosylated than its erythrocyte counterpart. No peak of labelling was seen with the membranes prepared from non-infected Sf9 cells. Furthermore, the incorporation of label into this peak was completely inhibited by the presence of 500 mM-D-Glucose during tile photolabelling procedure, showing the stereoselectivity of the labelling. These evidences clearly show that human glucose transporter expressed in insect cells exhibits native-like biological activity, and that photolabelling with [$^3$H] cytochalasin B can be a convenient means for analysing the biological activity of the transport protein expressed in insect cells.