Byoung-Cheol Lee

Novel all-fiber bandpass filter based on hollow optical fiber

We report an in-line all-fiber bandpass filter based on a hollow optical fiber (HOF) core mode blocker along with a long-period fiber grating (LPG) pair. It is theoretically and experimentally confirmed that selective core mode blocking at the HOF region located in the middle of the LPG pair could provide efficient passband channels corresponding to the resonant wavelengths of the LPGs. The filter characteristics in passbands and the nearfield patterns of guided modes in the proposed device are discussed.

Broad-band tunable all-fiber bandpass filter based on hollow optical fiber and long-period grating pair

We report a tunable all-fiber bandpass filter based on a short hollow optical fiber serially concatenated between a pair of long-period fiber gratings. With novel core mode blocking in the hollow core fiber and its optimal design, the device showed a low insertion loss of 1.5 dB and broad-band passband tuning range of 84.3 nm covering both S- and C-band.

Identification of ginsenoside interaction sites in 5-HT3A receptors.

We previously demonstrated that 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg(3) (Rg(3)), one of the active components of Panax ginseng, non-competitively inhibits 5-HT(3A) receptor channel activity on extracellular side of the cell. Here, we sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Rg(3)-induced 5-HT(3A) receptor regulation. We used the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique to investigate the effect of Rg(3) on 5-HT-mediated ion currents (I(5-HT)) in Xenopus oocytes expressing wild-type or 5-HT(3A) receptors harboring mutations in the gating pore region of transmembrane domain 2 (TM2). In oocytes expressing wild-type 5-HT(3A) receptors, Rg(3) dose-dependently inhibited peak I(5-HT) with an IC(50) of 27.6+/-4.3microM. Mutations V291A, F292A, and I295A in TM2 greatly attenuated or abolished the Rg(3)-induced inhibition of peak I(5-HT). Mutation V291A but not F292A and I295A induced constitutively active ion currents with decrease of current decay rate. Rg(3) accelerated the rate of current decay with dose-dependent manner in the presence of 5-HT. Rg(3) and TMB-8, an open channel blocker, dose-dependently inhibited constitutively active ion currents. The IC(50) values of constitutively active ion currents in V291A mutant receptor were 72.4+/-23.1 and 6.5+/-0.7microM for Rg(3) and TMB-8, respectively. Diltiazem did not prevent Rg(3)-induced inhibition of constitutively active ion currents in occlusion experiments. These results indicate that Rg(3) inhibits 5-HT(3A) receptor channel activity through interactions with residues V291, F292, and I295 in the channel gating region of TM2 and further demonstrate that Rg(3) regulates 5-HT(3A) receptor channel activity in the open state at different site(s) from those of TMB-8 and diltiazem.

Simultaneous Measurement of Temperature and Strain Based on Double Cladding Fiber Interferometer Assisted by Fiber Grating Pair

We present a double cladding fiber interferometer consisting of a long-period fiber grating pair for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain. The insensitivity of the inner cladding mode to the external contact enabled easy handling of the interferometer without affecting the interference; thereby, strain could be applied only to the grating-free region between the two gratings. We show that the relative phase of the interference fringes is solely dependent on the strain, whereas the ambient temperature causes a shift in the envelope of the fringes. The temperature and strain were measured with sensitivities of approximately 0.038 nm/degC and -1.05 rad/mepsiv, respectively, without appreciable cross-sensitivity.

Movements of Individual BKCa Channels in Live Cell Membrane Monitored by Site-Specific Labeling Using Quantum Dots

The movements of BK(Ca) channels were investigated in live cells using quantum dots (QDs). The extracellular N-terminus was metabolically tagged with biotin, labeled with streptavidin-conjugated QDs and then monitored using real-time time-lapse imaging in COS-7 cells and cultured neurons. By tracking hundreds of channels, we were able to determine the characteristics of channel movements quantitatively. Channels in COS-7 cells exhibited a confined diffusion in an area of 1.915 μm(2), with an initial diffusion coefficient of 0.033 μm(2)/s. In neurons, the channel movements were more heterogeneous and highly dependent on subcellular location. While the channels in soma diffused slowly without clear confinement, axodendritic channels showed more rapid and pseudo-one-dimensional movements. Intriguingly, the channel movement in somata was drastically increased by the neuronal β4 subunit, in contrast to the channels in the axodendritic area where the mobility were significantly decreased. Thus, our results demonstrate that the membrane mobility of BK(Ca) channels can be greatly influenced by the expression system used, subunit composition, and subcellular location. This QD-based, single-molecule tracking technique can be utilized to investigate the cellular mechanisms that determine the mobility as well as the localization of various membrane proteins in live cells.

Modulation of the Conductance-Voltage Relationship of the BKCa Channel by Shortening the Cytosolic Loop Connecting Two RCK Domains

Calcium-dependent gating of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK(Ca)) channels is mediated by the intracellular carboxyl terminus, which contains two domains of regulator of K(+) conductance (RCK). In mammalian BK(Ca) channels, the two RCK domains are separated by a protein segment of 101 residues that is poorly conserved in evolution and predicted to have no regular secondary structures. We investigated the functional importance of this loop using a series of deletion mutations. We found that the length, rather than the specific sequence at the central region of the segment, is critical for the functionality of the channel. As the length of the loop is progressively shorted, the conductance-voltage relationship gradually shifts toward more positive voltages with a minimum length of 70 amino acids, in an apparent response to increased tension within the loop. Thus, the functional activity of the BK(Ca) channel can be modulated by altering the tension of this loop region.

Localization of a site of action for benzofuroindole-induced potentiation of BKCa channels.

As previously reported, the activity of the large-conductance calcium (Ca2+)-activated potassium (K+) (BKCa) channel is strongly potentiated from the extracellular side of the cell membrane by certain benzofuroindole derivatives. Here, the mechanism of action of one of the most potent activators, 4-chloro-7-(trifluoromethyl)-10H-benzofuro[3,2-b]indole-1-carboxylic acid (CTBIC), is characterized. This compound, Compound 22 in the previous report (Chembiochem 6:1745–1748, 2005), potentiated the activity of the channel by shifting its conductance-voltage relationship toward the more negative direction. Cotreatment with CTBIC reduced the affinity of charybdotoxin, a peptide pore-blocker, whereas that of tetraethylammonium, a small pore-blocking quaternary ammonium, was not significantly altered. Guided by these results, scanning mutagenesis of the outer vestibule of the BKCa channel was launched to uncover the molecular determinants that affect CTBIC binding. Alanine substitution of several amino acid residues in the turret region and the S6 helix of the channel decreased potentiation by CTBIC. Homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulation showed that some of these residues formed a CTBIC binding pocket between two adjacent α-subunits in the outer vestibule of the channel. Thus, it can be envisioned that benzofuroindole derivatives stabilize the open conformation of the channel by binding to the residues clustered across the extracellular part of the subunit interface. The present results indicate that the interface between different α-subunits of the BKCa channel may play a critical role in the modulation of channel activity. Therefore, this interface represents a potential therapeutic target site for the regulation of K+ channels.

Ultra-compact Mach-Zehnder interferometer using hollow optical fiber for high temperature sensing

We have developed a compact and stable fiber optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) using hollow optical fiber (HOF) spliced between standard single mode fibers. The use of a micro-sized air hole in HOF is to provide two optical guidance/propagation paths and temperature sensitivity of 52 pm/°C and dynamic range of 10 dB are obtained over the range of 25°C to 330°C at 1550 nm.

Arrayed Multimode Fiber to VCSEL Coupling for Short Reach Communications Using Hybrid Polymer-Fiber Lens

We report the novel method that can give high coupling efficiency between a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array and a multimode optical fiber ribbon by using a hybrid-polymer-fiber lens technique. The coupling efficiency as high as 91% was achieved by optimizing the polymer lens curvature for the single source to the single fiber case. The longitudinal and the transverse coupling tolerances were enhanced with the introduction of a coreless silica fiber (CSF) segment between the fiber and the lens tip. The tradeoff between the high coupling efficiency and the large tolerance was experimentally observed. The technique was further applied to the coupling between a four-channel VCSEL array and a four-core fiber ribbon for short reach applications. The procedure of fabrication and the analysis of their optical characteristics are reported.

The anoctamin family channel subdued mediates thermal nociception in Drosophila.

Background: Subdued is a calcium-activated chloride channel of the anoctamin family in Drosophila. Results: Knockout or knockdown of subdued leads to defective nociceptive responses to heat. Conclusion: The Subdued channel mediates thermal nociception. Significance: An anoctamin channel participates in thermal nociception in insects. Calcium-permeable and thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels mediate the nociceptive transduction of noxious temperature in Drosophila nociceptors. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Here we find that Subdued, a calcium-activated chloride channel of the Drosophila anoctamin family, functions in conjunction with the thermo-TRPs in thermal nociception. Genetic analysis with deletion and the RNAi-mediated reduction of subdued show that subdued is required for thermal nociception in nociceptors. Further genetic analysis of subdued mutant and thermo-TRP mutants show that they interact functionally in thermal nociception. We find that Subdued expressed in heterologous cells mediates a strong chloride conductance in the presence of both heat and calcium ions. Therefore, our analysis suggests that Subdued channels may amplify the nociceptive neuronal firing that is initiated by thermo-TRP channels in response to thermal stimuli.