• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.775-781
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• 2002

The T-type amino acid transporter 1 (TATI) is a Na$^{+}$-independent amino acid transporter which selectively trans- ports aromatic amino acids subserving the amino acid transport system T. To understand the transport properties of aromatic amino acids by human TAT1 (hTATl ), we have examined the hTATl -mediated aromatic amino acid transports using a Xenopus laeuis oocyte expression system. When expressed in Xenopin laeuis oocytes, hTATl induced L- [$^{14}$ C]tryptophan transport which was not dependent on Na$^{+}$ or Cl$^{[-10]}$ in the medium. Uptake was time-dependent and exhibited a linear dependence on incubation time up to 30 min. The L- ($^{14}$ C)tryptophan uptake was highly inhibited by L-isomers of tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine, whereas other L-amino acids did not inhibit hTATl -mediated L- ($^{14}$ C)tryptophan uptake. The hTATl induced the relatively low-affinity transport of aromatic amino acids such as L- ($^{14}$ C)tryptophan, L- ($^{14}$ C)tyrosine and L- ($^{14}$ C)phenylalanine (Km values: 450～750 $\mu$M), consistent with the properties of classical amino acid transport system T. The L- ($^{14}$ C)tryptophan uptake did not show any remarkable pH dependence within the pH range of 5.5 to 8.5. The time-dependent efflux of L- ($^{14}$ C)tryptophan was detected from the oocytes expressing hTATl, which was not affected by the presence or absence of L-tryptophan in the extracellular medium, indicating that hTATl-mediated transport is due to the facilitated diffusion. Expression of hTATl in Xenopu laevis oocytes induced the transport of tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine, indicating that hTATl is a transporter subserving system T These results suggest that hTATl has essential roles in the absorption of aromatic amino acids from epithelial cells to the blood stream. Hecause hTATl is proposed to be crucial to the efficient absorption of aromatic amino acids from intestine and kidney, its defect such as blue diaper syndrome could be involved in the disruption of aromatic amino acid transport.ort.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 1997

Interactions between ganglioside $G_{M3}$ and glucose transporter, GLUT1 were studied by measuring the effect of $G_{M3}$ on steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence of purified GLUT1 in synthetic lipids and on the 3-O-methylglucose uptake by human erythrocytes. The intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence showed a GLUT 1 emission maximum of 335 nm, and increased in the presence of $G_{M3}$ by 12% without shifting the emission maximum, The fluorescence lifetimes of intrinsic tryptophan on GLUT1 consisted of a long component of 7.8 ns and a short component of 2,3 ns and $G_{M3}$ increased both lifetime components. Lifetime components were quenched by acrylamide and KI. Acrylarnide-mduced quenching of long-lifetime components was partly recovered by $G_{M3}$ However. KI-induccd quenching of short- and long-lifetime components was not rescued by $G_{M3}$. The anisotropy of 1.6-diphenyl-1.3.5-hexatriene (DPH)-probed dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) model membrane was also increased with $G_{M3}$ incorporation, The transport rate of 3-O-methylglucose increased by 20% with $G_{M3}$ incorporation on the erythrocytes, Therefore, $G_{M3}$ altered the environment of lipid membrane and induced the conformational change of GLUT1.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.969-977
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• 2024

Indigo is a valuable, natural blue dye that has been used for centuries in the textile industry. The large-scale commercial production of indigo relies on its extraction from plants and chemical synthesis. Studies are being conducted to develop methods for environment-friendly and sustainable production of indigo using genetically engineered microbes. Here, to enhance the yield of bioindigo from an E. coli whole-cell system containing tryptophanase (TnaA) and flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), we evaluated tryptophan transporters to improve the transport of aromatic compounds, such as indole and tryptophan, which are not easily soluble and passable through cell walls. Among the three transporters, Mtr, AroP, and TnaB, AroP enhanced indigo production the most. The combination of each transporter with AroP was also evaluated, and the combination of AroP and TnaB showed the best performance compared to the single transporters and two transporters. Bioindigo production was then optimized by examining the culture medium, temperature, isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside concentration, shaking speed (rpm), and pH. The novel strain containing aroP and tnaB plasmid with tnaA and FMO produced 8.77 mM (2.3 g/l) of bioindigo after 66 h of culture. The produced bioindigo was further recovered using a simple method and used as a watercolor dye, showing good mixing with other colors and color retention for a relatively long time. This study presents an effective strategy for enhancing indigo production using a combination of transporters.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2004

Objectives:Genetic variations of the tryptophan hydroxylase(TPH) gene and the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region(5-HTTLPR) polymorphism have been associated with its functional capacity. The authors investigated whether the allelic constitution of the TPH gene and 5-HTTLPR are associated in Korean panic patients. Methods:244 Korean patients with panic disorder and 227 normal healthy controls were tested for a genetic polymorphism of TPH A218C and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. To assess the severity of panic disorder during the last one month, anticipatory anxiety, panic difficulty, panic distress, agoraphobic difficulty and agoraphobic distress were measured with visual analogue scale(VAS) score, STAI-S & T, BDI, SCL-90-R, ASI-R, CGI, PDSS, and HAMD. Results:There was no significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies of TPH A218C and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism between panic patients and controls. Although we observed some differences in genotype and allele frequencies of TPH A218C polymorphism among male subjects, these differences disappeared after Bonferroni correction. And there were no significant differences in clinical variables. Conclusion:Our results suggested that there are no association between the genetic polymorphism of TPH gene and 5-HTTLPR with panic disorder.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.65-69
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• 2010

Gene-environment interactions are important in pathogenesis of suicide or suicidal behavior. Twin and adoption studies and family studies show that genetic factors play a critical role in suicide or suicidal behavior. Given the strong association between serotonergic neurotransmission and suicide, recent molecular genetic studies have focused on polymorphisms of serotonin genes, especially on serotonin transporter and tryptophan hydroxylase genes. Some studies have revealed a significant interaction between s allele of the serotonin transporter gene and the risk of suicide attempt associated with childhood trauma. In addition, the polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene also may influence the effect of childhood trauma in relation to the risk of attempting suicide. Future studies should explore genetic and environmental factors in suicide or suicidal behavior and examine for gene and environment interaction.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.449-457
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• 2021

The sleep-wake cycle is regulated by the alternating activity of sleep- and wake-promoting neurons. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) secretes 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin), promoting wakefulness. Melatonin secreted from the pineal gland also promotes wakefulness in rats. Our laboratory recently demonstrated that daily changes in nitric oxide (NO) production regulates a signaling pathway involving with-no-lysine kinase (WNK), Ste20-related proline alanine rich kinase (SPAK)/oxidative stress response kinase 1 (OSR1), and cation-chloride co-transporters (CCC) in rat DRN serotonergic neurons. This study was designed to investigate the effect of melatonin on NO-regulated WNK-SPAK/OSR1-CCC signaling in wake-inducing DRN neurons to elucidate the mechanism underlying melatonin's wake-promoting actions in rats. Ex vivo treatment of DRN slices with melatonin suppressed neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression and increased WNK4 expression without altering WNK1, 2, or 3. Melatonin increased phosphorylation of OSR1 and the expression of sodium-potassium-chloride co-transporter 1 (NKCC1), while potassium-chloride co-transporter 2 (KCC2) remained unchanged. Melatonin increased the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2, serotonin-synthesizing enzyme). The present study suggests that melatonin may promote its wakefulness by modulating NO-regulated WNK-SPAK/OSR1-KNCC1 signaling in rat DRN serotonergic neurons.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2005

Most suicides(about 90%) occur in the context of psychiatric disorders. Prediction of suicide risk in patients with mental illness is very important in preventing suicide attempts. However, current approaches to predict suicidality are based on clinical history and have low specificity and biological markers are not yet included. Many studies have explored the association between different biological parameters and suicidality. Studies of cerebro-spinal fluid(CSF) demonstrated that 5-HIAA and HVA levels were lower in patients with a history of suicide. Platelet serotonin transporter and the 5-HT2 serotonin receptor have also been studied in relation to violence and suicide. Depressive patients with greater suicidal tendency had significantly lower cholesterol concentrations but some researchers failed to find the correlation. DST non-supression is reported to predict suicidality in major depression. Several studies demonstrated a relationship between intron 7 polymorphism of tryptophan hydroxylase and suicidal behavior. Since suicide is not occurred in a single disease, the systematic and comprehensive study in large samples with various diagnoses is necessary to find the biological and genetic predictors of suicidal behavior.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.422-430
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• 2013

This experiment was designed to investigate the effects of So-Oochim-tang-Gagam-bang (SOCT-G) on oxidative stress and serotonin metabolism in P815 Mast Cells The effects of SOCT-G on activity of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging and Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) in P815 mast cells were investigated. The effect of SOCT-G on content of serotonin in P815 mast cells was investigated. The effects of SOCT-G on expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT), Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH-1) mRNA in P815 mast cells were investigated. The SOCT-G increased DPPH radical-scavenging activity in P815 mast cells. The SOCT-G increased SOD activity in P815 mast cells. The SOCT-G decreased the intracellular content of serotonin in P815 mast cells. The SOCT-G decreased 5-HTT and TPH-1 mRNA expression in P815 mast cells. This experiment shows that So-Ochm-Tang-Gagam-bang has a significant effect of oxidative stress that help prevent free radical damage. And So-Ochim-Tang-Gagam-bang decreased the intracellular content of serotonin and mRNA expression of 5-HTT and TPH-1. Therefore, further researches are suggested to reveal the anti-depressive effectiveness of So-Ochim-Tang-Gagam-bang.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.51-51
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• 2001

Cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) is a satiety factor that is regulated by leptin. It was reported that the mice intracerebroventricularly injected with CART showed behavioral changes resembled with the typical behavioral alterations found in the mice carrying disorders in the brain serotonergic (5-HT) system. Hence, this study was conducted to find out the relationships between CART and 5-HT. We first examined the mRNA levels of CART after the injections of para-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA, 300 mg/kg i.p., single injection or daily for three consecutive days) in the rat brains by in situ hybridization using the mouse CART cDNA probe cloned in our laboratory. Systemic administrations of pCPA, a potent inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme of 5-HT biosynthesis, acutely depletes the brain 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), which reuptakes terminal 5-HT. Results indicated that the mRNA level of CART significantly decreased in the arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, and lateral hypothalamic nucleus by three days of daily injection with pCPA with no noticeable change detected 24 hrs after the single injection. The message levels of 5-HTT in DRN decreased in both single and three days of injections. Secondly, to investigate whether CART affect to 5-HT, mouse genomic CART gene, which is consist of 3 exons and 2 introns and mouse neurofilament light (NF-L) chain promoter were cloned. Then, we constructed neuron specific expression vector, which was transfected into HeLa cell using lipid-mediated transfection system. Expression of GFP and CART linked to NF-L-chain promoter in the transfected HeLa cell were detected by using fluorescent microscope and RT-PCR. These results confirmed normal expression of DNA constructs in vitro. Then, to increase brain specific expression of CART in vivo transgenic mice carrying CART gene controlled the deleted NF-L-chain promoter were generated by the DNA microinjection into pronuclei of fertilized embryos. Transgenic mice were detected by Southern blot. Further study is necessary to examine CART expression and 5-HTT in these transgenic mice. Therefore, these results suggest that there maybe a positive molecular correlation between CART and 5-HT in responding to the stimuli.