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J H Shim

Publications and source records attributed to J H Shim.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Matrix formalism of electromagnetic wave propagation through multiple layers in the near-field region: application to the flat panel display.

We have developed an electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation theory through a single layer and multiple layers in the near-field and far-field regions, and have constructed a matrix formalism in terms of the boundary conditions of the EM waves. From the shielding efficiency (SE) against EM radiation in the near-field region calculated by using the matrix formalism, we propose that the effect of multiple layers yields enhanced shielding capability compared to a single layer with the same total thickness in conducting layers as the multiple layers. We compare the intensities of an EM wave propagating through glass coated with conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) on one side and on both sides, applying it to the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding filter in a flat panel display such as a plasma display panel (PDP). From the measured intensities of EMI noise generated by a PDP loaded with ITO coated glass samples, the two-side coated glass shows a lower intensity of EMI noise compared to the one-side coated glass. The result confirms the enhancement of the SE due to the effect of multiple layers, as expected in the matrix formalism of EM wave propagation in the near-field region. In the far-field region, the two-side coated glass with ITO in multiple layers has a higher SE than the one-side coated glass with ITO, when the total thickness of ITO in both cases is the same.

Journal Article↗

Both E6 and E7 oncoproteins of human papillomavirus 16 inhibit IL-18-induced IFN-gamma production in human peripheral blood mononuclear and NK cells.

Cervical carcinoma is the predominant cancer among malignancies in women throughout the world, and human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 is the most common agent linked to human cervical carcinoma. The present study was performed to investigate the mechanisms of immune escape in HPV-induced cervical cancer cells. The presence of HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 in the extracellular fluids of HPV-containing cervical cancer cell lines SiHa and CaSki was demonstrated by ELISA. The effect of HPV 16 oncoproteins E6 and E7 on the production of IFN-gamma by IL-18 was assessed. E6 and E7 proteins reduced IL-18-induced IFN-gamma production in both primary PBMCs and the NK0 cell line. FACS analysis revealed that the viral oncoproteins reduced the binding of IL-18 to its cellular surface receptors on NK0 cells, whereas there was no effect of oncoproteins on IL-1 binding to its surface IL-1 receptors on D10S, a subclone of the murine Th cell D10.G4.1. In vitro pull-down assays also revealed that the viral oncoproteins and IL-18 bound to IL-18R alpha-chain competitively. These results suggest that the extracellular HPV 16 E6 and E7 proteins may inhibit IL-18-induced IFN-gamma production locally in HPV lesions through inhibition of IL-18 binding to its alpha-chain receptor. Down-modulation of IL-18-induced immune responses by HPV oncoproteins may contribute to viral pathogenesis or carcinogenesis.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Evaluation of the catalytic mechanism of AICAR transformylase by pH-dependent kinetics, mutagenesis, and quantum chemical calculations.

The catalytic mechanism of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase (AICAR Tfase) is evaluated with pH dependent kinetics, site-directed mutagenesis, and quantum chemical calculations. The chemistry step, represented by the burst rates, was not pH-dependent, which is consistent with our proposed mechanism that the 4-carboxamide of AICAR assists proton shuttling. Quantum chemical calculations on a model system of 5-amino-4-carboxamide imidazole (AICA) and formamide using the B3LYP/6-31G level of theory confirmed that the 4-carboxamide participated in the proton-shuttling mechanism. The result also indicated that the amide-assisted mechanism is concerted such that the proton transfers from the 5-amino group to the formamide are simultaneous with nucleophilic attack by the 5-amino group. Because the process does not lead to a kinetically stable intermediate, the intramolecular proton transfer from the 5-amino group through the 4-carboxamide to the formamide proceeds in the same transition state. Interestingly, the calculations predicted that protonation of the N3 of the imidazole of AICA would reduce the energy barrier significantly. However, the pK(a) of the imidazole of AICAR was determined to be 3.23 +/- 0.01 by NMR titration, and AICAR is likely to bind to the enzyme with its imidazole in the free base form. An alternative pathway was suggested by modeling Lys266 to have a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the N3 of the imidazole of AICAR. Lys266 has been implicated in catalysis based on mutagenesis studies and the recent X-ray structure of AICAR Tfase. The quantum chemical calculations on a model system that contains AICA complexed with CH3NH3+ as a mimic of the Lys residue confirmed that such an interaction lowered the activation energy of the reaction and likewise implicated the 4-carboxamide. To experimentally verify this hypothesis, we prepared the K266R mutant and found that its kcat is reduced by 150-fold from that of the wild type without changes in substrate and cofactor Km values. The kcat-pH profile indicated virtually no pH-dependence in the pH range 6-10.5. The results suggest that the ammonium moiety of Lys or Arg is important in catalysis, most likely acting as a general acid catalyst with a pK(a) value greater than 10.5. The H267A mutant was also prepared since His267 has been found in the active site and implicated in catalysis. The mutant enzyme showed no detectable activity while retaining its binding affinity for substrate, indicating that it plays a critical role in catalysis. We propose that His267 interacts with Lys266 to aid in the precise positioning of the general acid catalyst to the N3 of the imidazole of AICAR.

Binding Sites↗

Human AICAR transformylase: role of the 4-carboxamide of AICAR in binding and catalysis.

We have prepared 4-substituted analogues of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) to investigate the specificity and mechanism of AICAR transformylase (AICAR Tfase). Of the nine analogues of AICAR studied, only one analogue, 5-aminoimidazole-4-thiocarboxamide ribonucleotide, was a substrate, and it was converted to 6-mercaptopurine ribonucleotide. The other analogues either did not bind or were competitive inhibitors, the most potent being 5-amino-4-nitroimidazole ribonucleotide with a K(i) of 0.7 +/- 0.5 microM. The results show that the 4-carboxamide of AICAR is essential for catalysis, and it is proposed to assist in mediating proton transfer, catalyzing the reaction by trapping of the addition compound. AICAR analogues where the nitrogen of the 4-carboxamide was derivatized with a methyl or an allylic group did not bind AICAR Tfase, as determined by pre-steady-state burst kinetics; however, these compounds were potent inhibitors of IMP cyclohydrolase (IMP CHase), a second activity of the bifunctional mammalian enzyme (K(i) = 0.05 +/- 0.02 microM for 4-N-allyl-AlCAR). It is proposed that the conformation of the carboxamide moiety required for binding to AICAR Tfase is different than the conformation required for binding to IMP CHase, which is supported by inhibition studies of purine ribonucleotides. It is shown that 5-formyl-AICAR (FAICAR) is a product inhibitor of AICAR Tfase with K(i) of 0.4 +/- 0.1 microM. We have determined the equilibrium constant of the transformylase reaction to be 0.024 +/- 0.001, showing that the reaction strongly favors AICAR and the 10-formyl-folate cofactor. The coupling of the AICAR Tfase and IMP CHase activities on a single polypeptide allows the overall conversion of AICAR to IMP to be favorable by coupling the unfavorable formation of FAICAR with the highly favorable cyclization reaction. The current kinetic studies have also indicated that the release of FAICAR is the rate-limiting step, under steady-state conditions, in the bifunctional enzyme and channeling is not observed between AICAR Tfase and IMP CHase.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of fluoronitrophenyl substituted folate analogues as potential inhibitors of GAR transformylase and AICAR transformylase.

The examination results of a novel series of potential inhibitors of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GAR Tfase) and aminoimidazole carboxamide transformylase (AICAR Tfase) are reported. These agents incorporate an electrophilic fluoronitrophenyl group that can potentially react with an active site nucleophile or the substrate GAR/AICAR amine via nucleophilic aromatic substitution.

Animals↗

Significance of serum and tissue carcinoembryonic antigen for the prognosis of gastric carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been widely accepted as a tumor marker useful in the diagnosis and management of colorectal carcinoma. When CEA levels are positive in patients with gastric carcinoma, they could be useful prognostic indicators. The value of CEA as a tumor marker for gastric carcinoma, however, remains a matter of controversy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether preoperative serum CEA value and tissue CEA staining are useful prognostic indicators for gastric carcinoma. METHODS: We measured preoperative serum CEA levels by radioimmunoassay and stained tissue CEA production by tumor cells from gastric carcinomas using immunohistochemical staining in patients with gastric carcinoma. RESULTS: The patients with preoperative serum CEA levels >10.0 ng/mL had a more prominent serosal invasion, much more lymph node involvement, more advanced stage and more poorly differentiated than did the patients with preoperative serum CEA levels <5.0 ng/mL. The survival rate of patients with serum CEA levels >10.0 ng/mL was poorer than those of patients with serum CEA levels between 5.0 and 10.0 ng/mL, and those of patients with serum CEA levels <5.0 ng/mL (P < 0.05). The preoperative serum CEA levels and tumor CEA-positivity were correlated (P < 0.05). In patients with lymph node metastases, the CEA-positivity (78.0%) was higher than in patients without lymph node metastasis (63.2%) (P < 0.05). A correlation was also found between the depth of tumor invasion and tissue CEA-positivity (P < 0.001). The postoperative survival rate was significantly better in the CEA-negative staining group (78.0%) than in the CEA-positive staining group (60.0%). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that preoperative serum CEA levels and staining for CEA in gastric carcinoma tissue sections may have a predictive value in determining prognostic information for patients with resectable gastric carcinoma.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen↗

The Unexpected Catalytic Properties of a Heterodimer of GAR Transformylase.

We have developed an efficient expression and purification protocol for a heterodimer of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase that was identified in incremental truncation libraries, a general combinatorial method for protein fragment complementation (M. Ostermeier, A. E. Nixon, J. H. Shim, and S. J. Benkovic, [1999], Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96, 3562-3567). This heterodimer (B13) containing both a bisection point and a deletion in conserved residues close to the active site was expressed and purified in high yield using Intein methodology. The N-terminus fragment (1-111) and C-terminus fragment (M114-212) were also expressed separately as stable proteins. When these two fragments were mixed together, they associate at a highly specific 1:1 ratio to give only the active heterodimer, B13. The activity of B13 is comparable to that of the wild type and the pH-dependent kinetics of B13 turned out to be nearly identical to those of the wild type, indicating that B13 operates in the same mechanism as the wild type. This result demonstrated that cutting within conserved regions is a viable domain separation and confirmed the generality of using incremental truncation for protein fragment complementation.

Journal Article↗

Imposex in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, as evidence of organotin contamination in the marine environment of Korea.

Imposex was measured in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, from the coast of the Korean peninsula. Frequency of imposex was 0% at two reference sites, but at 47 out of 61 sites, frequency of imposex was recorded as 100%. The degree of imposex was relatively high at the sites near a harbor and a shipyard. Tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) concentrations in T. clavigera ranged from 5 to 508 ng/g and from 3 to 2460 ng/g, respectively. A significant positive relationship was found between degree of imposex and organotin concentration, whereas a significant negative relationship was obtained between female-to-male sex ratio and the degree of imposex. During a field transplantation of T. clavigera from a pristine area to a port, TBT and TPT were accumulated in T. clavigera, and imposex was induced. T. clavigera shows considerable potential as a bioindicator species of the adverse effects of TBT and TPT contamination.

Animals↗

Catalytic mechanism of Escherichia coli glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase probed by site-directed mutagenesis and pH-dependent studies.

Site-directed mutagenesis followed by studies of the pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of the mutants has been used to probe the role of the active site residues and loops in catalysis by glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (EC 2.1.2.2). The analysis of the mutants of the strictly conserved active site residues, His108 and Asp144, revealed that His108 acts in a salt bridge with Asp144 as a general acid catalyst with a pK(a) value of 9.7. Asp144 also plays a key role in the preparation of the active site geometry for catalysis. The rate-limiting step in the pH range of 6-10 appears to be the catalytic steps involving tetrahedral intermediates, supported by the observation of a pL (L being H or D)-independent solvent deuterium isotope effect of 2. The ionization of the amino group of glycinamide ribonucleotide both as a free and as a bound form dominates the kinetic behavior at low pH. The analysis of a mutation, H121Q, within the loop spanning amino acids 111-131 suggests the closure of the loop is involved in the binding of the substrate. The kinetic behavior parallels pH effects revealed by a series of X-ray crystallographic structures of the apoenzyme and inhibitor-bound enzyme [Su, Y., Yamashita, M. M., Greasley, S. E. , Mullen, C. A., Shim, J. H., Jennings, P. A., Benkovic, S. J., and Wilson, I. A. (1998) J. Mol. Biol. 281, 485-499], permitting a more exact formulation of the probable catalytic mechanism.

Binding Sites↗

Combinatorial protein engineering by incremental truncation.

We have developed a combinatorial approach, using incremental truncation libraries of overlapping N- and C-terminal gene fragments, that examines all possible bisection points within a given region of an enzyme that will allow the conversion of a monomeric enzyme into its functional heterodimer. This general method for enzyme bisection will have broad applications in the engineering of new catalytic functions through domain swapping and chemical synthesis of modified peptide fragments and in the study of enzyme evolution and protein folding. We have tested this methodology on Escherichia coli glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (PurN) and, by genetic selection, identified PurN heterodimers capable of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylation. Two were chosen for physical characterization and were found to be comparable to the wild-type PurN monomer in terms of stability to denaturation, activity, and binding of substrate and cofactor. Sequence analysis of 18 randomly chosen, active PurN heterodimers revealed that the breakpoints primarily clustered in loops near the surface of the enzyme, that the breaks could result in the deletion of highly conserved residues and, most surprisingly, that the active site could be bisected.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A combinatorial approach to hybrid enzymes independent of DNA homology.

We present a methodology, termed incremental truncation for the creation of hybrid enzymes (ITCHY), that creates combinatorial fusion libraries between genes in a manner that is independent of DNA homology. We compared the ability of ITCHY and DNA shuffling to create interspecies fusion libraries between fragments of the Escherichia coli and human glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase genes, which have only 50% identity on the DNA level. Sequencing of several randomly selected positives from each library illustrated that ITCHY identified a more diverse set of active fusion points including those in regions of nonhomology and those with crossover points that diverged from the sequence alignment. Furthermore, some of the hybrids found by ITCHY that were fused at nonhomologous locations had activities that were greater than or equal to the activity of the hybrids found by DNA shuffling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Muscle activation during the tennis volley.

PURPOSE: To broaden our understanding of muscle function during the tennis volley under different ball placement and speed conditions by examining the activity of selected superficial muscles of the stroking arm and shoulder (flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi radialis, triceps brachii, deltoids, and pectoralis major) and muscles related to postural support (left and right external oblique, lumbar erector spinae, and gastrocnemius) during the volley. METHODS: Seven skilled tennis players were asked to perform volley strokes under 18 experimental conditions, including variations in lateral contact location (forehand and backhand), ball contact height (high, middle, and low), and ball speed (fast, medium, and slow). A ball machine was modified so that the subjects could not predict the ball trajectory before it was released from the machine. Muscle activity was determined using surface electromyographic (EMG) techniques, and the critical instants of a volley were determined using two force platforms and two high-speed (120 Hz) video cameras. Average EMG values for different phases of the volley, defined by the critical instants, were computed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In general, muscle activity increased with increasing ball speed. The extensor carpi radialis was more active than the flexor carpi radialis during both forehand and backhand volleys, suggesting the importance of wrist extension/abduction and grip strength. The increase in EMG levels in the forearm muscles shortly before the ball impact indicated that the subjects did not tighten their grip and wrist until moments before ball impact. Both antero-middle and postero-middle deltoids were active in most stroke phases. However, the roles of the deltoid muscles during a volley cannot be determined without knowing the actions of the other shoulder joint muscles.

Adolescent↗

Movement characteristics of the tennis volley.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine selected movement characteristics of the tennis volley by evaluating temporal and ground reaction force (GRF) parameters. METHODS: Seven skilled tennis players performed volley strokes under 18 experimental conditions including variations in lateral contact location (forehand (FH) and backhand (BH)), ball contact height (high, middle, low), and ball speed (fast, medium, slow). A ball machine was modified so that the subjects could not predict the ball trajectory before it was released from the machine. The GRF and temporal parameters were determined using two force platforms and two high-speed (120 Hz) video cameras, respectively. Average and maximum values of each measured parameter were computed for different phases of the volley. RESULTS: The average reaction times (from ball release to initial racquet movement (IRM)) for FH and BH trials were 226 and 205 ms, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant. The average stroke time (from IRM to ball impact) ranged from 381 ms in fast speed trials to 803 ms in slow speed trials. A distinct racquet forward motion immediately before ball impact occurred in 75% of the trials and they were evenly distributed between FH and BH trials. An ipsilateral side step (a side step of the foot on the same side of the oncoming ball before the crossover step of the other foot) occurred more often in FH (45%) than in BH (34%) trials. CONCLUSIONS: The GRF during the stroke phase suggest that the subjects initiated lateral movement by leaning sideward when ball velocity was low and by a vigorous pushoff of the contralateral foot when ball velocity was high.

Adolescent↗

Limited stress response in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

In Streptococcus pneumoniae, heat shock induces the synthesis of 65-, 73-, and 84-kDa proteins, and ethanol shock induces a 104-kDa protein. In this study, the 65-, 84-, and 104-kDa proteins were identified as members of the GroEL, ClpL and alcohol dehydrogenase families, respectively, and the general properties of the stress response of S. pneumoniae to several other stresses were characterized. However, several stresses which are known to induce stress responses in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis failed to induce any high molecular weight heat-shock proteins (HSPs) such as GroEL and DnaK homologues. A minor temperature shift from 30 to 37 C triggered induction of the homologues of DnaK and GroEL of E. coli. These features may provide a foundation for evaluating the role of heat-shock proteins relative to the physiology and pathogenesis of pneumococcus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A pH-dependent stabilization of an active site loop observed from low and high pH crystal structures of mutant monomeric glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase at 1.8 to 1.9 A.

A mutation in the dimer interface of Escherichia coli glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GarTfase) disrupts the observed pH-dependent association of the wild-type enzyme, but has no observable effect on the enzyme activity. Here, we assess whether a pH effect on the enzyme's conformation is sufficient by itself to explain the pH-dependence of the GarTfase reaction. A pH-dependent conformational change is observed between two high-resolution crystal structures of the Glu70Ala mutant GarTfase at pH 3.5 (1.8 A) and 7.5 (1.9 A). Residues 110 to 131 in GarTfase undergo a transformation from a disordered loop at pH 3.5, where the enzyme is inactive, to an ordered loop-helix structure at pH 7.5, where the enzyme is active. The ordering of this flexible loop-helix has a direct effect on catalytic residues in the active site, binding of the folate cofactor and shielding of the active site from solvent. A main-chain carbonyl oxygen atom from Tyr115 in the ordered loop forms a hydrogen bond with His108, and thereby provides electronic and structural stabilization of this key active site residue. Kinetic data indicate that the pKa of His108 is in fact raised to 9. 2. The loop movement can be correlated with elevation of the His pKa, but with further stabilization, probably from Asp144, after the binding of folate cofactor. Leu118, also in the loop, becomes positioned near the p-amino benzoic acid binding site, providing additional hydrophobic interactions with the cofactor 10-formyl tetrahydrofolate. Thus, the pH-dependence of the enzyme activity appears to arise from local active site rearrangements and not from differences due to monomer-dimer association.

Binding Sites↗

Evaluation of the kinetic mechanism of Escherichia coli glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase.

A kinetic scheme is presented for Escherichia coli glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GAR transformylase, EC 2.1.2.2) based on a steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic analysis of the reaction in both directions employing stopped-flow absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. Steady-state parameters showed that kcat for the reverse direction is about 10 times lower than that for the forward direction although the Km values for formyl dideazafolate and dideazafolate or for glycinamide ribonucleotide and formyl glycinamide ribonucleotide are similar. No pre-steady-state transient was observed in either direction, and the single-turnover rate constant under saturating levels of substrates in each direction was found to be very close to the respective steady-state kcat value. This indicates that steps involving ternary complexes are rate-determining for steady-state turnover in each direction. By conducting the single-turnover reactions under various preincubation and mixing conditions, a random sequential kinetic mechanism was implicated in which the enzyme binds glycinamide ribonucleotide or formyl dideazafolate productively in no obligatory order. The collective data provided a quantitative kinetic scheme to serve as a basis for the analysis of mutations.

Bacterial Proteins↗