NMR study of ligand release from asialoglycoprotein receptor under solution conditions in early endosomes.

Asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) is an endocytic C-type lectin receptor in hepatocytes that clears plasma glycoconjugates containing a terminal galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine. The carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of ASGP-R has three Ca(2+) binding sites (sites 1, 2 and 3), with Ca(2+) at site 2 being directly involved in ligand binding. Following endocytosis, the ligands are released from ASGP-R in endosomes to allow receptor recycling to the cell membrane.

Antibiotics-free stable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from carbon dioxide by recombinant cyanobacteria.

A practical antibiotics-free plasmid expression system in cyanobacteria was developed by using the complementation of cyanobacterial recA null mutation with the EscherichiacolirecA gene on the plasmid. This system was applied to the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable plastic, and the transgenic cyanobacteria stably maintained the pha genes for PHA production in the antibiotics-free medium, and accumulated up to 52% cell dry weight of PHA.

Variation of telomeric DNA content in gingiva and dental pulp.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the age- and tissue-related variations of the telomere length in gingiva and dental pulp of donor patients.

Design: We quantified the relative telomeric DNA content corresponding to the telomere length in gingiva or dental pulp from donor patients (male and female, aged at 19-68) by using genomic DNA of oral tissues in dot-blot hybridization with telomere-specific probe.

Results: Telomeric DNA content in the dental pulp showed a negative correlation with the age of donor patients, with smaller telomeric DNA content observed in the elders (p<0.

Effects of E. coli chaperones on the solubility of human receptors in an in vitro expression system.

The implementation of efficient technologies for the production of recombinant mammalian membrane receptors is an outstanding challenge in understanding receptor-ligand actions and the development of therapeutic antibodies. In order to improve the solubility of recombinant extracellular domains of human membrane receptors expressed in Escherichia coli, proteins were synthesized by an E. coli in vitro translation system supplemented with bacterial molecular chaperones, such as GroEL-GroES (GroEL/ES), Trigger factor (TF), a DnaK-DnaJ-GrpE chaperone system (DnaKJE), and/or a heat shock protein Hsp100, ClpB.

Amino acid sequence of alpha-subunit in hen egg white ovomucin deduced from cloned cDNA.

The primary amino acid sequence of alpha-subunit in ovomucin (OVM) from hen thick egg white was determined. The 2087 amino acid residues with a relative molecular mass of 230.9 kDa along the full length of the alpha-subunit were represented.

The rbcX gene product promotes the production and assembly of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase of Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 in Escherichia coli.

The operon encoding ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 contains three rbc genes, rbcL, rbcX and rbcS, in this order. Introduction of translational frameshift into the rbcX gene resulted in a significant decrease in the production of large (RbcL) and small (RbcS) subunits of the Rubisco protein in Synechococcus sp.

CO2 response for expression of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase genes is inhibited by AT-rich decoy in the cyanobacterium.

The CO(2)-regulatory function of the AT-rich element in the promoter for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbc) genes in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 was analyzed using the transcription factor decoy approach. Double-stranded phosphorothioate AT-rich oligonucleotides with high affinity for a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein were successfully introduced into cyanobacterial cells in culture without any transfection reagent.

Design of a fluorescent electrophoretic mobility shift assay improved for the quantitative and multiple analysis of protein-DNA complexes.

We describe a protocol for the fluorescent electrophoretic mobility shift assay improved for the quantitative analysis of protein-DNA complexes. Fluorescent-labeled oligonucleotide probes incubated with nuclear proteins were followed by electrophoresis. The signals for protein-DNA complexes were measured and normalized with fluorescent-labeled marker using fragment analysis software.

CO(2) response element and corresponding trans-acting factor of the promoter for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase genes in Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 found by an improved electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

We analyzed the promoter of the genes encoding the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbc) in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 and localized the CO(2)-regulatory element. Cyanobacterial transformants were constructed with several DNA segments of the rbc promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, and their acetyltransferase activities were analyzed under 0.

Amphipathic property of free thiol group contributes to an increase in the catalytic efficiency of carboxypeptidase Y.

Cys341 of carboxypeptidase Y, which constitutes one side of the solvent-accessible surface of the S1 binding pocket, was replaced with Gly, Ser, Asp, Val, Phe or His by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis, using Cbz-dipeptide substrates, revealed that polar amino acids at the 341 position increased K(m) whereas hydrophobic amino acids in this position tended to decrease K(m). This suggests the involvement of Cys341 in the formation of the Michaelis complex in which Cys341 favors the formation of hydrophobic interactions with the P1 side chain of the substrate as well as with residues comprising the surface of the S1 binding pocket.