Deoxycytidine kinase and deoxyguanosine kinase of Lactobacillus acidophillus R-26 are colinear products of a single gene

IKEDA, TAKEHISA,GRIMME, STEPHEN,Ma, NING,IKEDA, SEACHIRO,FIENO, ANGELA,IVES, DAVID H,GUO, SHENYUAN,PARK, INSHIK 東亞大學校附設遺傳工學硏究所 1997 遺傳工學硏究 Vol.- No.4

Three of the four deoxynucleoside kinases required for growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus R-26 exist as heterodimeric pairs specific for deoxyadenosine(dAK) and deoxycytidine (dCK) or dAK and deoxyguanosine (dGK). However, only two tandem genes, dak/dgk, are found, and are expressed only as dAK/dGK in transformed Escherichia coli. Sequencing peptides spanning 63% of the native dCK subunit revealed a sequence identical to that deduced from dgk(beginning MTVIVL…), except that dCK lacks residues 2 and 3 (dCK is M-IVL;dGK is ·TVIVL). Also, mass spectrometry indicates that native dCK and dGK subunits are identical in mass adjusted for the first three residues. Furtheromore, the native enzymes have identical isoelectric pH values, indicating an equal number of charged residues. To enable E. coli to express peptide having the native dCK sequence, codons 2 and 3 were deleted from the dgk portion of the tandem genes, resulting in expression of protein having the specificities and regulatory properties of dAK/dCK, including heterotropic stimulation of dAK activity by deoxycytidine or dCTP (not deoxyguanosine or dGTP) and end-product inhibition of the respective activities by dATP and dCTP. Subcloning normal and mutant dgk yielded homodimeric dGK and dCK, respectively. The dCK homodimer strongly resembles human dCK with a low ?? for deoxycytidine, the ability to phosphorylate deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine at much higher ?? values, and end-product inhibition by dCTP. Thus two distinct and specific enzymes evidently are derived from a single Lactobacillus gene. The mechanism by which this occurs in vivo has yet to be elucidated.

Morphometric analyses of non-invasive fecal samples of the Korean long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) for species and age identification

Kim, Baek-Jun,Choi, Tae-Young,Park, Grimm,Lee, Hang,Lee, Jae Min,Choi, Sunghoon 한국통합생물학회 2018 Animal cells and systems Vol.22 No.1

The Korean long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) is at risk of population decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Therefore, it is essential to ascertain its presence and/or the identity of individuals of the goral using non-invasive fecal samples for its conservation and management. In this study, we examined the morphology of fecal samples to provide the baseline data that can be used to distinguish species and age of goral individuals. We detected a significant difference in the length-to-width ratios of feces among the five ungulate species found in Korea. Also, we detected a significant difference in the length-to-width ratios of feces of gorals depending on the age groups. To assess the accuracy of species and age identification based on the fecal morphology, we conducted a series of blind comparison between the mean length-towidth ratios of the fecal pellets and the reference mean ratio values of the fecal pellets. Using 20 fecal pellets, our results showed 73%-86% probability of correct identification of the three species (gorals, goats, and roe deer), and 83%-90% probability of correct identification of >5 year-old goral individuals. The use of fecal morphometric analyses will be useful for the studies of Korean ungulate species, particularly the endangered gorals.

Relationship between Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain, Invasive Hemodynamics, and Functional Assessment in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

박재형,Kenya Kusunose,Deborah H. Kwon,Margaret M. Park,Serpil C. Erzurum,James D. Thomas,Richard A. Grimm,Brian P. Griffin,Thomas H. Marwick,Zoran B. Popović 대한심장학회 2015 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.45 No.5

Background and Objectives: Right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) is a new parameter of RV function. We evaluated the relationship of RVLS by speckle-tracking echocardiography with functional and invasive parameters in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. Subjects and Methods: Thirty four patients with World Health Organization group 1 PAH (29 females, mean age 45±13 years old). RVLS were analyzed with velocity vector imaging. Results: Patients with advanced symptoms {New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV} had impaired RVLS in global RV (RVLSglobal, -17±5 vs. -12±3%, p<0.01) and RV free wall (RVLSFW, -19±5 vs. -14±4%, p<0.01 to NYHA class I/II). Baseline RVLSglobal and RVLSFW showed significant correlation with 6-minute walking distance (r=-0.54 and r=-0.57, p<0.01 respectively) and logarithmic transformation of brain natriuretic peptide concentration (r=0.65 and r=0.65, p<0.01, respectively). These revealed significant correlations with cardiac index (r=-0.50 and r=-0.47, p<0.01, respectively) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR, r=0.45 and r=0.45, p=0.01, respectively). During a median follow-up of 33 months, 25 patients (74%) had follow-up examinations. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP, 54±13 to 46±16 mmHg, p=0.03) and PVR (11±5 to 6±2 wood units, p<0.01) were significantly decreased with pulmonary vasodilator treatment. RVLSglobal (-12±5 to -16±5%, p<0.01) and RVLSFW (-14±5 to -18±5%, p<0.01) were significantly improved. The decrease of mPAP was significantly correlated with improvement of RVLSglobal (r=0.45, p<0.01) and RVLSFW (r=0.43, p<0.01). The PVR change demonstrated significant correlation with improvement of RVLSglobal (r=0.40, p<0.01). Conclusion: RVLS correlates with functional and invasive hemodynamic parameters in PAH patients. Decrease of mPAP and PVR as a result of treatment was associated with improvement of RVLS

Relationship between Right Ventricular Longitudinal Strain, Invasive Hemodynamics, and Functional Assessment in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

박재형,Kenya Kusunose,Deborah H. Kwon,Margaret M. Park,James D. Thomas,Richard A. Grimm,Brian P. Griffin,Thomas H. Marwick,Zoran B. Popović 대한심장학회 2016 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.46 No.2

Background and Objectives Right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) is a new parameter of RV function. We evaluated the relationship of RVLS by speckle-tracking echocardiography with functional and invasive parameters in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. Subjects and Methods Thirty four patients with World Health Organization group 1 PAH (29 females, mean age 45±13 years old). RVLS were analyzed with velocity vector imaging. Results Patients with advanced symptoms {New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV} had impaired RVLS in global RV (RVLSglobal, -17±5 vs. -12±3%, p<0.01) and RV free wall (RVLSFW, -19±5 vs. -14±4%, p<0.01 to NYHA class I/II). Baseline RVLSglobal and RVLSFW showed significant correlation with 6-minute walking distance (r=-0.54 and r=-0.57, p<0.01 respectively) and logarithmic transformation of brain natriuretic peptide concentration (r=0.65 and r=0.65, p<0.01, respectively). These revealed significant correlations with cardiac index (r=-0.50 and r=-0.47, p<0.01, respectively) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR, r=0.45 and r=0.45, p=0.01, respectively). During a median follow-up of 33 months, 25 patients (74%) had follow-up examinations. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP, 54±13 to 46±16 mmHg, p=0.03) and PVR (11±5 to 6±2 wood units, p<0.01) were significantly decreased with pulmonary vasodilator treatment. RVLSglobal (-12±5 to -16±5%, p<0.01) and RVLSFW (-14±5 to -18±5%, p<0.01) were significantly improved. The decrease of mPAP was significantly correlated with improvement of RVLSglobal (r=0.45, p<0.01) and RVLSFW (r=0.43, p<0.01). The PVR change demonstrated significant correlation with improvement of RVLSglobal (r=0.40, p<0.01). Conclusion RVLS correlates with functional and invasive hemodynamic parameters in PAH patients. Decrease of mPAP and PVR as a result of treatment was associated with improvement of RVLS.

A core set of microsatellite markers for conservation genetics studies of Korean goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) and its cross-species amplification in Caprinae species

안정화,최성경,Julie Sommer,Edward Louis Jr,Rick Brenneman,Barbora Zemanová,Petra Hájková,Grimm Park,Mi-Sook Min,김경석,이항 대한수의학회 2010 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.11 No.4

In order to screen microsatellites for conservation genetics studies of the species, a total of 23 microsatellite loci from Korean goral (Naemorhedus caudatus), including 15 previously developed loci and 8 new loci in this study, were tested. Eleven microsatellites were screened and subjected to cross-species amplification using a test panel of four Caprinae species, Japanese serows (Capricornis crispus), Chinese gorals (Naemorhedus goral), Northern chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and domestic goats (Capra hircus). In addition, all eleven microsatellites (SY3A, SY12A, SY12B, SY48, SY58, SY71, SY76, SY84, SY84B, SY112, and SY129) satisfied the criteria to be a core set of microsatellites. This core set of microsatellites and cross-species amplification of Korean goral microsatellites were found to be helpful for high-resolution studies for conservation and management of Korean goral and other endangered Caprinae species.