Tyrosinase, which is the crucial copper-containing enzyme involved in melanin synthesis, is strongly associated with hyperpigmentation disorders, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease; thus, it has attracted considerable interest in the fields of medicine and cosmetics. The known tyrosinase inhibitors show numerous adverse side effects, and there is a lack of safety regulations governing their ...

Tetaine induced the lysis of Escherichia coli cells. Several di- and tripeptides were found to protect this cells against tetaine action. Certain peptides are able to diminish the inhibition by tetaine of diaminopimelic acid incorporation into peptidoglycan and the extent of this corresponds to the protection of the cells against the tetaine-induced lysis. The data indicate that tetaine enters ...

Results. Fraction 38 from the final 1-60 column associated with a 210-nm absorption peak and elicited a polarization and chemotactic response from polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The loss of polarization activity in fraction 38 after exposure to prolidase suggests that this peptide contains a Pro-X (X = amino acid) peptide bond. The amino acid composition of fraction 38 was 35% glycine and 53% pr...

1. Two different subcellular fractionation techniques were applied to guinea-pig intestinal mucosa and the composition of the brush borders prepared by the two methods were compared. 2. By using a kinetic assay system the subcellular distribution of activity against ten dipeptides and five tripeptides was studied. 3. Only small amounts (5-10%) of activity against dipeptides were found in the br...

The coating of surfaces with bio-functional proteins is a promising strategy for the creation of highly biocompatible medical implants. Bio-functional proteins from the extracellular matrix (ECM) provide effective surface functions for controlling cellular behavior. We have previously screened bio-functional tripeptides for feasibility of mass production with the aim of identifying those that a...

In the postgenomic era, accurate prediction tools are essential for identification of the proteomes of cell organelles. Prediction methods have been developed for peroxisome-targeted proteins in animals and fungi but are missing specifically for plants. For development of a predictor for plant proteins carrying peroxisome targeting signals type 1 (PTS1), we assembled more than 2500 homologous p...

A new taste-modifying protein named curculin was extracted with 0.5 M NaCl from the fruits of Curculigo latifolia and purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, CM-Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. Purified curculin thus obtained gave a single band having a Mr of 12,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of 8 M urea. The molecu...