Minseok Kwak - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Minseok Kwak

Research paper thumbnail of Single Crystal Cooler and Single Crystal Grower Including the Same

Research paper thumbnail of Sub-100 nm gold nanohole-enhanced Raman scattering on flexible PDMS sheets

Nanotechnology, 2016

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy techniq... more Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy technique enabling detection of multiple analytes at the molecular level in a nondestructive and rapid manner. In this work, we introduce a new approach to fabricate deep subwavelength-scaled (sub-100 nm) metallic nanohole arrays (quasi-3D metallic nanoholes) on flexible and highly efficient SERS substrates. Target structures have been fabricated using a two-step process consisting of (i) direct pattern transfer of spin-coated polymer films onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates by plasma etching with transferred anodic aluminum oxide masks, and (ii) producing SERS-active substrates by functionalization of the etched polymeric films followed by Au deposition. Such an all-dry, top-down lithographic approach enables on-demand patterning of SERS-active metallic nanoholes with high structural fidelity even onto flexible and stretchable substrates, thus making possible multiple sensing modes in a versatile fashion. For example, metallic nanoholes on flexible PDMS substrates are highly amenable to their integration with curved glass sticks, which can be used in optical fiber-integrated SERS systems. Au surfaces immobilized by probe DNA molecules show a selective enhancement of Raman scattering with Cy5-labeled complementary DNA (as compared to flat Au surfaces), demonstrating the potential of using the quasi-3D Au nanohole arrays for bio-sensing applications.

Research paper thumbnail of Time-dependent effect of E. coli LPS in spleen DC activation in vivo: Alteration of numbers, expression of co-stimulatory molecules, production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and presentation of antigens

Molecular immunology, May 9, 2017

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a well-known stimuli of dendritic cells (DCs). However, in vivo splee... more Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a well-known stimuli of dendritic cells (DCs). However, in vivo spleen DC maturation by Escherichia coli (E.coli) LPS has not been fully investigated. In this study, we examined the effect of LPS on the activation of spleen DCs and its subsets in a time-dependent manner on mice in vivo. The frequency, number and migration of spleen conventional DCs (cDCs) were increased 6 and 12h after completion of LPS treatment. Those increased DC numbers in spleen were then gradually decreased with apoptosis of the DCs. The highest levels of co-stimulatory molecule expression in the spleen cDCs and their subsets occurred 18h after LPS treatment, while the pro-inflammatory cytokines reached their maximum in the intracellular levels of the spleen cDCs and their subsets 3h after LPS treatment. The antigen presentation of the spleen cDCs and their subsets increased gradually from 3 to 12h after LPS treatment, but those levels decreased rapidly after 18h post-LPS treatment....

Research paper thumbnail of Photoinduced Charge Separation of the Covalently Linked Fullerene–Triphenylamine–Fullerene Triad. Effect of Dual Fullerenes on Lifetimes of Charge-Separated States

Research paper thumbnail of Maturation of dendritic cells by pullulan promotes anti-cancer effect

Oncotarget, Jan 20, 2016

Previous studies have demonstrated that pullulan, a polysaccharide purified from Aureobasidium pu... more Previous studies have demonstrated that pullulan, a polysaccharide purified from Aureobasidium pullulans, has immune-stimulatory effects on T and B cells. Moreover, pullulan has been used as a carrier in the delivery of the antigen (Ag) peptide to lymphoid tissues. However, the in vivo effect of pullulan on dendritic cells (DC) has not been well characterized. In this study, we assessed the effect of pullulan on DC activation and anti-cancer immunity. The results showed that the pullulan treatment up-regulated co-stimulatory molecule expression and enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDC) in vitro and in spleen DCs in vivo. Moreover, the combination of ovalbumin (OVA) and pullulan induced OVA antigen-specific T cell activations in vivo. In tumor-bearing mice, pullulan induced the maturation of DCs in spleen and tumor draining lymph node (drLN), and promoted the OVA-specific T cell activation and migration of the T cells into the tumor. In addit...

Research paper thumbnail of Investigation of Electrochemical Properties of Model Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite-Based Cathodes for Proton Ceramic Fuel Cells

Research paper thumbnail of Crucial role of a nickel substrate in Co3O4 pseudocapacitor directly grown on nickel and its electrochemical properties

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Ascophyllan functions as an adjuvant to promote anti-cancer effect by dendritic cell activation

Oncotarget, Jan 19, 2016

Our previous study demonstrated that ascophyllan, a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown a... more Our previous study demonstrated that ascophyllan, a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown alga, has immune-activating effects. In this study, we evaluated ascophyllan as an adjuvant for its therapeutic and preventive effect on tumor in a mouse melanoma model. Ascophyllan induced migration of DCs to spleen and tumor-draining lymph node (drLN) in a mouse B16 melanoma model. Moreover, ascophyllan induced activation of dendritic cells (DCs), and promoted IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing Th1 immune responses in tumor-bearing mice. In addition, treatment with a combination of ascophyllan and ovalbumin (OVA) in the tumor-bearing mice promoted proliferation of OVA-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells and migration of those cells into the tumor, consequently inhibiting the tumor growth. Immunization with the combination of ascophyllan and OVA caused enhanced OVA-specific antibody production and memory T cell responses compared to OVA immunization alone, and almost completely prevented B16-OVA tumor ...

Research paper thumbnail of Dispersion and Stabilization of Quantum Rod Through Semi-interpenetrating Network Formation

Research paper thumbnail of Sequence-specific nucleic acid mobility using a reversible block copolymer gel matrix and DNA amphiphiles (lipid-DNA) in capillary and microfluidic electrophoretic separations

Electrophoresis, Jan 10, 2015

Reversible non-covalent but sequence-dependent attachment of DNA to gels is shown to allow progra... more Reversible non-covalent but sequence-dependent attachment of DNA to gels is shown to allow programmable mobility processing of DNA populations. The covalent attachment of DNA oligomers to polyacrylamide gels using acrydite-modified oligonucleotides has enabled sequence-specific mobility assays for DNA in gel electrophoresis: sequences binding to the immobilized DNA are delayed in their migration. Such a system has been used for example to construct complex DNA filters facilitating DNA computations. However these gels are formed irreversibly and the choice of immobilized sequences is made once off during fabrication. In this work we demonstrate the reversible self-assembly of gels combined with amphiphilic DNA molecules, which exhibit hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains attached to the nucleobase. This amphiphilic DNA, which we term lipid-DNA, is synthesized in advance and is blended into a block copolymer gel to induce sequence-dependent DNA retention during electrophoresis. Furthermore,...

Research paper thumbnail of Amphiphilic DNA block copolymers: nucleic acid-polymer hybrid materials for diagnostics and biomedicine

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2011

DNA-polymer conjugates have been recognized as versatile functional materials in many different f... more DNA-polymer conjugates have been recognized as versatile functional materials in many different fields ranging from nanotechnology to diagnostics and biomedicine. They combine the favorable properties of nucleic acids and synthetic polymers. Moreover, joining both structures with covalent bonds to form bioorganic hybrids allows for the tuning of specific properties or even the possibility of evolving completely new functions. One important class of this type of material is amphiphilic DNA block copolymers, which, due to microphase separation, can spontaneously adopt nanosized micelle morphologies with a hydrophobic core and a DNA corona. These DNA nano-objects have been explored as vehicles for targeted gene and drug delivery, and also as programmable nanoreactors for organic reactions. Key to the successful realization of these potential applications is that (1) DNA block copolymer conjugates can be fabricated in a fully automated fashion by employing a DNA synthesizer; (2) hydroph...

Research paper thumbnail of Properties of Oligonucleolipid Films at the Air/Water Interface and after Film Transfer

Research paper thumbnail of Intrarnolecular charge-transfer interactions in two new dyads based on C-60 and bis (N, N'-dimethyl or diphenyl substituted) aniline donor

Research paper thumbnail of DNA block copolymers and their programmable self-assembly

Research paper thumbnail of A ngew. Chem. 2010, 122, 8754–8768

Research paper thumbnail of ChemInform Abstract: Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles: Synthesis and Self-Assembled Nanostructures

ChemInform, 2012

Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles: Synthesis and Self-Assembled Nanostructures -[66 refs.]. -(KWAK, M.; HE... more Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles: Synthesis and Self-Assembled Nanostructures -[66 refs.]. -(KWAK, M.; HERRMANN*, A.; Chem. Soc. Rev. 40 (2011) 12, 5745-5755, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c1cs15138j ; Dep. Polym. Chem., Univ. Groningen, NL-9747 AG Groningen, Neth.; Eng.) -Lindner 12-239

Research paper thumbnail of Nucleic Acid Polymers and DNA Synthetic Polymer Hybrid Materials Generated by Molecular Biology Techniques

Materials Science and Technology, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Functionalization of Fatty Acid Vesicles through Newly Synthesized Bolaamphiphile–DNA Conjugates

Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2014

The surface functionalization of fatty acid vesicles will allow their use as nanoreactors for com... more The surface functionalization of fatty acid vesicles will allow their use as nanoreactors for complex chemistry. In this report, the tethering of several DNA conjugates to decanoic acid vesicles for molecular recognition and synthetic purposes was explored. Due to the highly dynamic nature of these structures, only one novel bola-amphiphile DNA conjugate could interact efficiently with or spontaneously pierce into the vesicle bilayers without jeopardizing their self-assembly or stability. This molecule was synthesized via a Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click reaction), and consists of a single hydrocarbon chain of 20 carbons having on one end a triazole group linked to the 5'-phosphate of the nucleic acid and on the other side a hydroxyl-group. Its insertion was so effective that a fluorescent label on the DNA complementary to the conjugate could be used to visualize fatty acid structures.

Research paper thumbnail of Extracellular synthesis of gold bionanoparticles by Nocardiopsis sp. and evaluation of its antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 2015

Advancement of biological process for the synthesis of bionanoparticles is evolving into a key ar... more Advancement of biological process for the synthesis of bionanoparticles is evolving into a key area of research in nanotechnology. The present study deals with the biosynthesis, characterization of gold bionanoparticles by Nocardiopsis sp. MBRC-48 and evaluation of their antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The gold bionanoparticles obtained were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized gold bionanoparticles were spherical in shape with an average of 11.57 ± 1.24 nm as determined by TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS) particle size analyzer, respectively. The biosynthesized gold nanoparticles exhibited good antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms. It showed strong antioxidant activity as well as cytotoxicity against HeLa cervical cancer cell line. The present study demonstrated the potential use of the marine actinobacterial strain of Nocardiopsis sp. MBRC-48 as an important source for gold nanoparticles with improved biomedical applications including antimicrobial, antioxidant as well as cytotoxic agent.

Research paper thumbnail of Impairment of social behavior and communication in mice lacking the Uba6-dependent ubiquitin activation system

Behavioural brain research, Jan 15, 2015

The Uba6-Use1 ubiquitin enzyme cascade is a poorly understood arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome sys... more The Uba6-Use1 ubiquitin enzyme cascade is a poorly understood arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome system required for mouse development. Recently, we reported that Uba6 brain-specific knockout (termed NKO) mice display abnormal social behavior and neuronal development due to a decreased spine density and accumulation of Ube3a and Shank3. To better characterize a potential role for NKO mice in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), we performed a comprehensive behavioral characterization of the social behavior and communication of NKO mice. Our behavioral results confirmed that NKO mice display social impairments, as indicated by fewer vocalizations and decreased social interaction. We conclude that UBA6 NKO mice represent a novel ASD mouse model of anti-social and less verbal behavioral symptoms.

Research paper thumbnail of Single Crystal Cooler and Single Crystal Grower Including the Same

Research paper thumbnail of Sub-100 nm gold nanohole-enhanced Raman scattering on flexible PDMS sheets

Nanotechnology, 2016

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy techniq... more Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive vibrational spectroscopy technique enabling detection of multiple analytes at the molecular level in a nondestructive and rapid manner. In this work, we introduce a new approach to fabricate deep subwavelength-scaled (sub-100 nm) metallic nanohole arrays (quasi-3D metallic nanoholes) on flexible and highly efficient SERS substrates. Target structures have been fabricated using a two-step process consisting of (i) direct pattern transfer of spin-coated polymer films onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates by plasma etching with transferred anodic aluminum oxide masks, and (ii) producing SERS-active substrates by functionalization of the etched polymeric films followed by Au deposition. Such an all-dry, top-down lithographic approach enables on-demand patterning of SERS-active metallic nanoholes with high structural fidelity even onto flexible and stretchable substrates, thus making possible multiple sensing modes in a versatile fashion. For example, metallic nanoholes on flexible PDMS substrates are highly amenable to their integration with curved glass sticks, which can be used in optical fiber-integrated SERS systems. Au surfaces immobilized by probe DNA molecules show a selective enhancement of Raman scattering with Cy5-labeled complementary DNA (as compared to flat Au surfaces), demonstrating the potential of using the quasi-3D Au nanohole arrays for bio-sensing applications.

Research paper thumbnail of Time-dependent effect of E. coli LPS in spleen DC activation in vivo: Alteration of numbers, expression of co-stimulatory molecules, production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and presentation of antigens

Molecular immunology, May 9, 2017

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a well-known stimuli of dendritic cells (DCs). However, in vivo splee... more Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a well-known stimuli of dendritic cells (DCs). However, in vivo spleen DC maturation by Escherichia coli (E.coli) LPS has not been fully investigated. In this study, we examined the effect of LPS on the activation of spleen DCs and its subsets in a time-dependent manner on mice in vivo. The frequency, number and migration of spleen conventional DCs (cDCs) were increased 6 and 12h after completion of LPS treatment. Those increased DC numbers in spleen were then gradually decreased with apoptosis of the DCs. The highest levels of co-stimulatory molecule expression in the spleen cDCs and their subsets occurred 18h after LPS treatment, while the pro-inflammatory cytokines reached their maximum in the intracellular levels of the spleen cDCs and their subsets 3h after LPS treatment. The antigen presentation of the spleen cDCs and their subsets increased gradually from 3 to 12h after LPS treatment, but those levels decreased rapidly after 18h post-LPS treatment....

Research paper thumbnail of Photoinduced Charge Separation of the Covalently Linked Fullerene–Triphenylamine–Fullerene Triad. Effect of Dual Fullerenes on Lifetimes of Charge-Separated States

Research paper thumbnail of Maturation of dendritic cells by pullulan promotes anti-cancer effect

Oncotarget, Jan 20, 2016

Previous studies have demonstrated that pullulan, a polysaccharide purified from Aureobasidium pu... more Previous studies have demonstrated that pullulan, a polysaccharide purified from Aureobasidium pullulans, has immune-stimulatory effects on T and B cells. Moreover, pullulan has been used as a carrier in the delivery of the antigen (Ag) peptide to lymphoid tissues. However, the in vivo effect of pullulan on dendritic cells (DC) has not been well characterized. In this study, we assessed the effect of pullulan on DC activation and anti-cancer immunity. The results showed that the pullulan treatment up-regulated co-stimulatory molecule expression and enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDC) in vitro and in spleen DCs in vivo. Moreover, the combination of ovalbumin (OVA) and pullulan induced OVA antigen-specific T cell activations in vivo. In tumor-bearing mice, pullulan induced the maturation of DCs in spleen and tumor draining lymph node (drLN), and promoted the OVA-specific T cell activation and migration of the T cells into the tumor. In addit...

Research paper thumbnail of Investigation of Electrochemical Properties of Model Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite-Based Cathodes for Proton Ceramic Fuel Cells

Research paper thumbnail of Crucial role of a nickel substrate in Co3O4 pseudocapacitor directly grown on nickel and its electrochemical properties

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Ascophyllan functions as an adjuvant to promote anti-cancer effect by dendritic cell activation

Oncotarget, Jan 19, 2016

Our previous study demonstrated that ascophyllan, a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown a... more Our previous study demonstrated that ascophyllan, a sulfated polysaccharide purified from brown alga, has immune-activating effects. In this study, we evaluated ascophyllan as an adjuvant for its therapeutic and preventive effect on tumor in a mouse melanoma model. Ascophyllan induced migration of DCs to spleen and tumor-draining lymph node (drLN) in a mouse B16 melanoma model. Moreover, ascophyllan induced activation of dendritic cells (DCs), and promoted IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing Th1 immune responses in tumor-bearing mice. In addition, treatment with a combination of ascophyllan and ovalbumin (OVA) in the tumor-bearing mice promoted proliferation of OVA-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells and migration of those cells into the tumor, consequently inhibiting the tumor growth. Immunization with the combination of ascophyllan and OVA caused enhanced OVA-specific antibody production and memory T cell responses compared to OVA immunization alone, and almost completely prevented B16-OVA tumor ...

Research paper thumbnail of Dispersion and Stabilization of Quantum Rod Through Semi-interpenetrating Network Formation

Research paper thumbnail of Sequence-specific nucleic acid mobility using a reversible block copolymer gel matrix and DNA amphiphiles (lipid-DNA) in capillary and microfluidic electrophoretic separations

Electrophoresis, Jan 10, 2015

Reversible non-covalent but sequence-dependent attachment of DNA to gels is shown to allow progra... more Reversible non-covalent but sequence-dependent attachment of DNA to gels is shown to allow programmable mobility processing of DNA populations. The covalent attachment of DNA oligomers to polyacrylamide gels using acrydite-modified oligonucleotides has enabled sequence-specific mobility assays for DNA in gel electrophoresis: sequences binding to the immobilized DNA are delayed in their migration. Such a system has been used for example to construct complex DNA filters facilitating DNA computations. However these gels are formed irreversibly and the choice of immobilized sequences is made once off during fabrication. In this work we demonstrate the reversible self-assembly of gels combined with amphiphilic DNA molecules, which exhibit hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains attached to the nucleobase. This amphiphilic DNA, which we term lipid-DNA, is synthesized in advance and is blended into a block copolymer gel to induce sequence-dependent DNA retention during electrophoresis. Furthermore,...

Research paper thumbnail of Amphiphilic DNA block copolymers: nucleic acid-polymer hybrid materials for diagnostics and biomedicine

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2011

DNA-polymer conjugates have been recognized as versatile functional materials in many different f... more DNA-polymer conjugates have been recognized as versatile functional materials in many different fields ranging from nanotechnology to diagnostics and biomedicine. They combine the favorable properties of nucleic acids and synthetic polymers. Moreover, joining both structures with covalent bonds to form bioorganic hybrids allows for the tuning of specific properties or even the possibility of evolving completely new functions. One important class of this type of material is amphiphilic DNA block copolymers, which, due to microphase separation, can spontaneously adopt nanosized micelle morphologies with a hydrophobic core and a DNA corona. These DNA nano-objects have been explored as vehicles for targeted gene and drug delivery, and also as programmable nanoreactors for organic reactions. Key to the successful realization of these potential applications is that (1) DNA block copolymer conjugates can be fabricated in a fully automated fashion by employing a DNA synthesizer; (2) hydroph...

Research paper thumbnail of Properties of Oligonucleolipid Films at the Air/Water Interface and after Film Transfer

Research paper thumbnail of Intrarnolecular charge-transfer interactions in two new dyads based on C-60 and bis (N, N'-dimethyl or diphenyl substituted) aniline donor

Research paper thumbnail of DNA block copolymers and their programmable self-assembly

Research paper thumbnail of A ngew. Chem. 2010, 122, 8754–8768

Research paper thumbnail of ChemInform Abstract: Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles: Synthesis and Self-Assembled Nanostructures

ChemInform, 2012

Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles: Synthesis and Self-Assembled Nanostructures -[66 refs.]. -(KWAK, M.; HE... more Nucleic Acid Amphiphiles: Synthesis and Self-Assembled Nanostructures -[66 refs.]. -(KWAK, M.; HERRMANN*, A.; Chem. Soc. Rev. 40 (2011) 12, 5745-5755, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c1cs15138j ; Dep. Polym. Chem., Univ. Groningen, NL-9747 AG Groningen, Neth.; Eng.) -Lindner 12-239

Research paper thumbnail of Nucleic Acid Polymers and DNA Synthetic Polymer Hybrid Materials Generated by Molecular Biology Techniques

Materials Science and Technology, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Functionalization of Fatty Acid Vesicles through Newly Synthesized Bolaamphiphile–DNA Conjugates

Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2014

The surface functionalization of fatty acid vesicles will allow their use as nanoreactors for com... more The surface functionalization of fatty acid vesicles will allow their use as nanoreactors for complex chemistry. In this report, the tethering of several DNA conjugates to decanoic acid vesicles for molecular recognition and synthetic purposes was explored. Due to the highly dynamic nature of these structures, only one novel bola-amphiphile DNA conjugate could interact efficiently with or spontaneously pierce into the vesicle bilayers without jeopardizing their self-assembly or stability. This molecule was synthesized via a Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click reaction), and consists of a single hydrocarbon chain of 20 carbons having on one end a triazole group linked to the 5'-phosphate of the nucleic acid and on the other side a hydroxyl-group. Its insertion was so effective that a fluorescent label on the DNA complementary to the conjugate could be used to visualize fatty acid structures.

Research paper thumbnail of Extracellular synthesis of gold bionanoparticles by Nocardiopsis sp. and evaluation of its antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 2015

Advancement of biological process for the synthesis of bionanoparticles is evolving into a key ar... more Advancement of biological process for the synthesis of bionanoparticles is evolving into a key area of research in nanotechnology. The present study deals with the biosynthesis, characterization of gold bionanoparticles by Nocardiopsis sp. MBRC-48 and evaluation of their antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The gold bionanoparticles obtained were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized gold bionanoparticles were spherical in shape with an average of 11.57 ± 1.24 nm as determined by TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS) particle size analyzer, respectively. The biosynthesized gold nanoparticles exhibited good antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms. It showed strong antioxidant activity as well as cytotoxicity against HeLa cervical cancer cell line. The present study demonstrated the potential use of the marine actinobacterial strain of Nocardiopsis sp. MBRC-48 as an important source for gold nanoparticles with improved biomedical applications including antimicrobial, antioxidant as well as cytotoxic agent.

Research paper thumbnail of Impairment of social behavior and communication in mice lacking the Uba6-dependent ubiquitin activation system

Behavioural brain research, Jan 15, 2015

The Uba6-Use1 ubiquitin enzyme cascade is a poorly understood arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome sys... more The Uba6-Use1 ubiquitin enzyme cascade is a poorly understood arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome system required for mouse development. Recently, we reported that Uba6 brain-specific knockout (termed NKO) mice display abnormal social behavior and neuronal development due to a decreased spine density and accumulation of Ube3a and Shank3. To better characterize a potential role for NKO mice in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), we performed a comprehensive behavioral characterization of the social behavior and communication of NKO mice. Our behavioral results confirmed that NKO mice display social impairments, as indicated by fewer vocalizations and decreased social interaction. We conclude that UBA6 NKO mice represent a novel ASD mouse model of anti-social and less verbal behavioral symptoms.