Isolation and Characterization of Engineered Nucleoside Deoxyribosyltransferase with Enhanced Activity Toward 2'-Fluoro-2'-Deoxynucleoside.

Nucleoside deoxyribosyltransferase (NDT) is an enzyme that replaces the purine or pyrimidine base of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside. This enzyme is generally used in the nucleotide salvage pathway in vivo and synthesizes many nucleoside analogs in vitro for various biotechnological purposes. Since NDT is known to exhibit relatively low reactivity toward nucleoside analogs such as 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxynucleoside, it is necessary to develop an enhanced NDT mutant enzyme suitable for nucleoside analogs.

Sympathetic Overactivity Based on Heart-Rate Variability in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cerebral Small-Vessel Disease.

Background And Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cerebral white-matter changes (WMC), but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Our aim was to identify the cardiovascular autonomic characteristics during sleep that are associated with cerebral WMC in OSA patients.

Methods: We recruited subjects from our sleep-center database who underwent both polysomnography and brain MRI within a 1-year period.

Moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cerebral small vessel disease.

Background: Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is associated with increased risk of cerebral infarction and hemorrhage. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is known to increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the association between cerebral SVD and severity of OSA.

Is obstructive sleep apnea associated with the presence of intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis?

Purpose: Intracranial cerebral atherosclerosis (ICAS) is one of critical atherosclerosis which closely related with stroke. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with systemic atherosclerosis, but it is unclear whether OSA is related with the presence of ICAS. We aimed to investigate the association between the presence of ICAS and severity of OSA in patients with suspected OSA.

Stage-Wise Identification and Analysis of miRNA from Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita.

In this study, we investigated global changes in miRNAs of throughout its life cycle. Small RNA sequencing resulted in approximately 62, 38, 38, 35, and 39 Mb reads in the egg, J2, J3, J4, and female stages, respectively. Overall, we identified 2724 known and 383 novel miRNAs (read count > 10) from all stages, of which 169 known and 13 novel miRNA were common to all the five stages.

Quality characteristics and ginsenosides composition of ginseng-yakju according to the particle size of ginseng powder.

The aim of this study was to develop rice wine (Yakju) containing various amounts and particle sizes of ginseng powder and to analyze the physicochemical characteristics and content of ginsenosides in ginseng-Yakju. Soluble solid content, pH, ethanol concentration, acidity, amino acid content, and evaluation of preference showed no difference between four kinds of Yakju groups, regardless of ginseng supplementation and particle size of the ginseng powder. During fermentation of Yakju containing ginseng, the contents of ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, and Rc were decreased.

Efficacy of levofloxacin and rifaximin based quadruple therapy in Helicobacter pylori associated gastroduodenal disease: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of levofloxacin and rifaximin based quadruple regimen as first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. A prospectively randomized, double-blinded, parallel group, comparative study was performed. Three hundred consecutive H.

[Effect of acid pump antagonist (Revaprazan, Revanex(R)) on result of 13C urea breath test in patients with Helicobacter pylori associated peptic ulcer disease].

Background/aims: Revaprazan (Revanex(R)) is a novel proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that has a somewhat different effect on proton pump compared with the other PPI's, also (called as 'acid pump antagonist'). We aimed to examine the false negative rate of 13C-urea breath test (UBT) in the patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) associated peptic ulcer disease who were treated with revaprazan and evaluate the anti-urease activity of revaprazan.

Intracellular expression of the T-cell factor-1 RNA aptamer as an intramer.

T-cell factor (TCF)-1 protein forms the transcriptional complex with beta-catenin and regulates the expression of diverse target genes during early development and carcinogenesis. We have selected previously an RNA aptamer that binds to the DNA-binding domain of TCF-1 and have shown that it interfered with binding of TCF-1 to its specific DNA recognition sequences in vitro. As an approach to modulate the transcription by TCF/beta-catenin complex in the cells, we have developed the RNA expression vector for stable expression of RNA aptamer inside of the mammalian cells.

Inhibition of the DNA binding by the TCF-1 binding RNA aptamer.

The DNA binding architectural protein, TCF, and the transcriptional activator, beta-catenin, form a complex that regulates the expression of diverse target genes during early development and carcinogenesis. As an approach to modulating transcription by this complex, we selected an RNA aptamer that binds to the DNA binding domain of TCF-1. The aptamer interfered with the binding of TCF-1 to its specific DNA recognition sequences in vitro and also inhibited DNA binding of cellular TCF-1.

Specific modulation of the anti-DNA autoantibody-nucleic acids interaction by the high affinity RNA aptamer.

Anti-DNA autoantibodies are one of the frequently found autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus patient sera. RNA aptamers for the monoclonal G6-9 anti-DNA autoantibody were selected from a random pool of RNA library. Binding affinity of the best aptamer is around 2nM, which is at least 100-fold higher than that of cognate DNA antigen to the autoantibody.