• BMB Reports
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate ($PIP_3$) is a lipid second messenger that employs a wide range of downstream effector proteins for the regulation of cellular processes, including cell survival, polarization and proliferation. One of the most well characterized cytoplasmic targets of $PIP_3$, serine/threonine protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, promotes cell survival by directly interacting with nucleophosmin (NPM)/B23, the nuclear target of $PIP_3$. Here, we report that nuclear $PIP_3$ competes with Akt to preferentially bind B23 in the nucleoplasm. Mutation of Arg23 and Arg25 in the PH domain of Akt prevents binding to $PIP_3$, but does not disrupt the Akt/B23 interaction. However, treatment with phosphatases PTEN or SHIP abrogates the association between Akt and B23, indicating that nuclear $PIP_3$ regulates the Akt/B23 interaction by controlling the concentration and subcellular dynamics of these two proteins.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ is a key cellular phosphoinositide that localizes in separate and distinctive pools in subcellular membrane and vesicular compartments. In membranes, Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ acts as a precursor to second messengers and is itself a main signaling and targeting molecule. Specific subcellular localization of type I PIP kinases directed by interacting with specific targeting module differentiates Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ production in a spatial and temporal manner. Several lines of evidences support the idea that Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ is generated in very specific pools in a spatial and temporal manner or by feeding Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ directly to effectors. In this concept, the interaction of PIPKI isoforms with a specific targeting module to allow precise subcellular targeting modulates highly specific Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ synthesis and channeling overall effectors. For instance, localization of PIPKI${\gamma}$661 to focal adhesions by an interaction with talin results in spatial and temporal production of Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$, which regulates EGF-stimulated directional cell migration. In addition, Type $I{\gamma}$ PIPK is targeted to E-cadherin in cell adherence junction and plays a role in controlling dynamics of cell adherence junction and endocytosis of E-cadherin. Characterizing how PIP kinase isoforms are regulated by interactions with their targeting modules, as well as the mechanisms by which their product, Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$, exerts its effects on cellular signaling processes, is crucial to understand the harmonized control of numerous cellular signaling pathways. Thus, in this review the roles of the Ptdlns(4)P(5) kinases and Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ were described and critically reviewed in terms of regulation of the E-cadherin trafficking, cell migration, and formation of cell adherence junction which is indispensable and is tightly controlled in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권12호
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• pp.577-586
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• 2022

Stress granules (SGs) are stress-induced subcellular compartments, which carry out a particular function to cope with stress. These granules protect cells from stress-related damage and cell death through dynamic sequestration of numerous ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) and signaling proteins, thereby promoting cell survival under both physiological and pathological condition. During tumorigenesis, cancer cells are repeatedly exposed to diverse stress stimuli from the tumor microenvironment, and the dynamics of SGs is often modulated due to the alteration of gene expression patterns in cancer cells, leading to tumor progression as well as resistance to anticancer treatment. In this mini review, we provide a brief discussion about our current understanding of the fundamental roles of SGs during physiological stress and the effect of dysregulated SGs on cancer cell fitness and cancer therapy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.307-316
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• 2015

Beginning from the recognition of FtsZ as a bacterial tubulin homolog in the early 1990s, many bacterial cytoskeletal elements have been identified, including homologs to the major eukaryotic cytoskeletal elements (tubulin, actin, and intermediate filament) and the elements unique in prokaryotes (ParA/MinD family and bactofilins). The discovery and functional characterization of the bacterial cytoskeleton have revolutionized our understanding of bacterial cells, revealing their elaborate and dynamic subcellular organization. As in eukaryotic systems, the bacterial cytoskeleton participates in cell division, cell morphogenesis, DNA segregation, and other important cellular processes. However, in accordance with the vast difference between bacterial and eukaryotic cells, many bacterial cytoskeletal proteins play distinct roles from their eukaryotic counterparts; for example, control of cell wall synthesis for cell division and morphogenesis. This review is aimed at providing an overview of the bacterial cytoskeleton, and discussing the roles and assembly dynamics of bacterial cytoskeletal proteins in more detail in relation to their most widely conserved functions, DNA segregation and coordination of cell wall synthesis.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권10호
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• pp.526-531
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• 2018

Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) play essential roles in diverse biological processes and their misregulations are associated with a wide range of diseases. Especially, the growing attention to PPIs as a new class of therapeutic target is increasing the need for an efficient method of cell-based PPI analysis. Thus, we newly developed a robust PPI assay (SeePPI) based on the co-translocation of interacting proteins to the discrete subcellular compartment 'processing body' (p-body) inside living cells, enabling a facile analysis of PPI by the enriched fluorescent signal. The feasibility and strength of SeePPI (${\underline{S}}ignal$ ${\underline{e}}nhancement$ ${\underline{e}}xclusively$ on ${\underline{P}}-body$ for ${\underline{P}}rotein-protein$ ${\underline{I}}nteraction$) assay was firmly demonstrated with FKBP12/FRB interaction induced by rapamycin within seconds in real-time analysis of living cells, indicating its recapitulation of physiological PPI dynamics. In addition, we applied p53/MDM2 interaction and its dissociation by Nutlin-3 to SeePPI assay and further confirmed that SeePPI was quantitative and well reflected the endogenous PPI. Our SeePPI assay will provide another useful tool to achieve an efficient analysis of PPIs and their modulators in cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제46권12호
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• pp.617-622
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• 2013

Rac1 plays a key role in neurite outgrowth via reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. The molecular mechanisms underlying Rac1-mediated actin dynamics in the cytosol and plasma membrane have been intensively studied, but the nuclear function of Rac1 in neurite outgrowth has not yet been addressed. Using subcellular fractionation and immunocytochemistry, we sought to explore the role of nuclear Rac1 in neurite outgrowth. bFGF, a strong agonist for neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, stimulated the nuclear accumulation of an active form of Rac1. Rac1-PBR (Q) mutant, in which six basic residues in the polybasic region at the C-terminus were replaced by glutamine, didn't accumulate in the nucleus. In comparison with control cells, cells expressing this mutant form of Rac1 displayed a marked defect in extending neurites that was concomitant with reduced expression of MAP2 and MEK-1. These results suggest that Rac1 translocation to the nucleus functionally correlates with bFGF-induced neurite outgrowth.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.1.1-1.5
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• 2009

Many organisms control their physiology and behavior in response to the local light environment, which is first perceived by photoreceptors that undergo light-dependent conformational changes. Phytochromes are one of the major photoreceptors in plants, controlling wide aspects of plant physiology by recognizing the light in red (R) and far-red (FR) spectra. Higher plants have two types of phytochromes; the photo-labile type I (phyA in Arabidopsis) and photo-stable type II (phyB-E in Arabidopsis). Phytochrome B (phyB), a member of the type II phytochromes in Arabidopsis, shows classical R and FR reversibility between the inter-convertible photoisomers, Pr and Pfr. Interestingly, the Pr and Pfr isomers show partitioning in the cytosol and nucleus, respectively. In the over 50 years since its discovery, it has been thought that the type II phytochromes only function to mediate R light. As described in the text, we have now discovered phyB has an active function in FR light. Even striking is that the R and FR light exert an opposite effect. Thus, FR light is not simply nullifying the R effect but has an opposing effect to R light. What is more interesting is that the phyB-mediated actions of FR and R light occur at different cellular compartment of the plant cell, cytosol and nucleus, respectively, which was proven through utilization of the cytosolic and nuclear-localized mutant versions of phyB. Our observations thus shoot down a major dogma in plant physiology and will be considered highly provocative in phytochrome function. We argue that it would make much more sense that plants utilize the two isoforms rather than only one form, to effectively monitor the changing environmental light information and to incorporate the information into their developmental programs.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.282-288
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• 2016

단백질-단백질 결합은 수용체 단백질, 효소, 세포 골격 단백질의 세포내 위치 결정 및 기능 조절에 중요한 역할을 한다. Postsynaptic density-95/disks large/zonula occludens-1 (PDZ) 도메인을 가진 단백질들은 시냅스 가소성, 신경세포 성장과 분화뿐만 아니라 많은 질병의 병태생리에 중요하게 관여하는 scaffold 단백질로 작용한다. Multi-PDZ domain protein 1 (MUPP1)은 13개 PDZ 도메인을 가지는 단백질로서 세포막 수용체 군집화, 신호전달 복합체 구성, 세포 골격 조정에 대한 매개 역할을 하는 것으로 알려지고 있지만 MUPP1의 세포 내 기능은 아직 명확히 밝혀지지 않았다. 본 연구에서 MUPP1의 아미노 말단 PDZ 도메인과 결합하는 새로운 단백질을 규명하기 위하여 효모 two-hybrid 방법을 이용하였고 Wdpcp (전에 Fritz로 알려짐)이 MUPP1과 결합하는 것을 확인하였다. Wdpcp는 planar cell polarity (PCP) effector로서 세포 이동과 섬모형성에 관여하는 것으로 알려져 있다. Wdpcp는 MUPP1의 첫 번째 PDZ 도메인과 결합하지만, 다른 PDZ 도메인과는 결합하지 않았다. 또한 MUPP1와 Wdpcp의 결합에서 Wdpcp의 C-말단부위가 결합에 필수적임을 효모 two-hybrid 방법으로 확인하였다. 이러한 단백질간 결합은 glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay, 공동면역침강, HEK-293T 세포에서의 발현위치를 통하여 추가적으로 확인하였다. 이러한 결과들은, MUPP1과 Wdpcp 결합은 세포내 액틴 다이내믹스(dynamics)와 세포이동 조절에 역할을 할 가능성을 시사한다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1817-1829
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• 2019

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus that causes diarrhea in neonatal piglets. Like other coronaviruses, PDCoV encodes at least three accessory or species-specific proteins; however, the biological roles of these proteins in PDCoV replication remain undetermined. As a first step toward understanding the biology of the PDCoV accessory proteins, we established a stable porcine cell line constitutively expressing the PDCoV NS7 protein in order to investigate the functional characteristics of NS7 for viral replication. Confocal microscopy and subcellular fractionation revealed that the NS7 protein was extensively distributed in the mitochondria. Proteomic analysis was then conducted to assess the expression dynamics of the host proteins in the PDCoV NS7-expressing cells. High-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis initially identified 48 protein spots which were differentially expressed in the presence of NS7. Seven of these spots, including two up-regulated and five down-regulated protein spots, showed statistically significant alterations, and were selected for subsequent protein identification. The affected cellular proteins identified in this study were classified into functional groups involved in various cellular processes such as cytoskeleton networks and cell communication, metabolism, and protein biosynthesis. A substantial down-regulation of α-actinin-4 was confirmed in NS7-expressing and PDCoV-infected cells. These proteomic data will provide insights into the understanding of specific cellular responses to the accessory protein during PDCoV infection.

• 원예과학기술지
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.607-613
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• 2014

Calcium has been associated with improved cold tolerance in many crops. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in leaf cell $Ca^{2+}$ distribution and cell organelle ultrastructure of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) plants in response to cold stress at $-3^{\circ}C$, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two loquat accessions, Zaozhong 6 (a commercial cultivar) and oakleaf loquat (a wild relative) were used. Cold tolerance, as measured by leaf browning rate, was higher in oakleaf plants, and calcium treatment improved cold tolerance in both species. Cold stress first induced inward transport of $Ca^{2+}$ from the intracellular space. Then, the imported $Ca^{2+}$ was aggregated around the chloroplast membrane, finally entering the chloroplast. This pattern of $Ca^{2+}$ distribution in leaf cells occurred earlier in Zaozhong 6 than in the wild loquat. With increasing time of cold exposure, the chloroplast membranes of Zaozhong 6 leaves were damaged, blurred and even disappeared, while those of wild oakleaf loquat leaves maintained their structure longer. In Zaozhong 6, cold stress induced a clear cavity between poorly structured granal thylakoids and vesicles appearing inside the chloroplast, while in oakleaf leaves cold stress had little effect on the ultrastructure of chloroplasts (although chloroplast membranes looked blurred). Loquat leaves accumulated free calcium ions around chloroplasts in response to cold stress, with earlier calcium accumulation occurring in the cold-sensitive cultivar Zaozhong 6 than in wild oakleaf loquat. These results demonstrate that these two loquat species have differences in both cold tolerance and calcium accumulation dynamics.