• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.638-642
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• 2001

To investigate the production of $C_{21}$-steroids during the spawning period of spotted sea bass, Lateolabrax maculatus, we have incubated maturing and ovulating follicles with radiolabeled pregnenolone and $17\alpha$-hydroxyprogesterone for 24 hours. The resulting metabolites were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), When maturing follicles ($700\sim800{\mu}m$ in diameters) were incubated with radiolabeled precursors, $C_{21}$-metabolites were corticosteroids and $17\alpha$-hydroxy, $20\beta$-dihydroprogesterone ($17\alpha20\beta OHP$). When ovulation follicles ($1,000\sim1,150{\mu}m$ in diameters) were incubated with radiolabeled precursors, the major $C_{21}$-metabolites were $17\alpha20\beta OHP$, $17\alpha$,$20\beta$, 21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one ($17\alpha20\beta21P$), and corticosterone. Additional chromatography by TLC and HPLC confirmed the presence of radioactive $17\alpha20\beta OHP$ in the maturing follicles, and $17\alpha20\beta OHP$,$17\alpha20\beta21P$ and corticosterone in ovulating follicles. Although $17\alpha20\beta OHP$ was found in a small peak, the synthesis of this steroid suggests that it may play a role in regulating the oocyte maturation process. Whereas ovulation is regulated by both $17\alpha20\beta OHP$ and $17\alpha20\beta21P$ in the spotted sea bass. In addition, an unusual finding was the biosynthesis of corticosterone. Whether this production is responsible for the ovulation, and is an area requiring continued research.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.107-112
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• 2008

To investigate the $C_{21}$-steroids produced from maturating oocytes in the longchin goby, Chasmichthys dolichognathus, the oocytes ($0.74{\sim}0.97\;mm$) were incubated with radiolabeled $17{\alpha}$-hydroxyprogesterone ($^3H-17{\alpha}OHP$) for 24 hours. The resulting metabolites were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two $C_{21}$-steroids, $17{\alpha}$-hydroxy, $20{\alpha}$-dihydroprogesterone ($17{\alpha}20{\alpha}P$) and $17{\alpha}$-hydroxy, $20{\beta}$-dihydroprogesterone ($17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$), were converted from $^3H-17{\alpha}OHP$ in the maturing oocytes. These two main metabolites were detected at 0.80 mm diameter oocytes or greater. In addition, the effects of these metabolites on in vitro germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) were tested. The sensitivity of oocytes to the induction of GVBD was greater at $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ than $17{\alpha}20{\alpha}P$. This result showed that $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ is a major maturation inducing steroid (MIS) in longchin goby, suggesting $17{\alpha}20{\alpha}P$ may play a role in regulating the oocyte maturation process.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.190-195
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• 2008

The $\alpha$-amylase gene, amyL, from Bacillus licheniformis was expressed in Lactobacillus brevis 2.14 and Escherichia coli $DH5{\alpha}$ using two different shuttle vectors, pCW4 and pSJE. E. coli transformants (TFs) harboring either $pCW4T{\alpha}$ or $pSJET{\alpha}$ produced active $\alpha$-amylase but L. brevis TFs did not, as determined by enzyme assays and zymography. But amyL transcripts were synthesized in L. brevis TFs. In terms of plasmid stability, pSJE, a theta-type replicon, was more stable than pCW4, an RCR (rolling circle replication) plasmid, in L. brevis without antibiotic selection.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2005

[ $21{\alpha}$ ]- and ${\beta}$-Methylmelianodiol were isolated as the inhibitor of IL-5 bioactivity from Poncirus tripoliata. To develope as an anti-septic drug, the genotoxicity of $21{\alpha}\;-and\;{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$ was subjected to high throughput toxicity screening (HTTS) because they revealed strong IL-5 inhibitory activity and limitation of quantity. Mouse lymphoma thymidine kinase ($tk^{+/-}$) gene assay (MOLY), single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay in mammalian cells and Ames reverse mutation assay in bacterial system were used as simplified, inexpensive, short-term in vitro screening tests in our laboratory. These compounds are not mutagenic in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. Before performing the comet assay, $IC_{20}$ of $21{\alpha}-methylmelianodiol$ was determined the concentration of $25.51\;{\mu}g/mL\;and\;21.99\;{\mu}g/mL$ with and without S-9, respectively. Also $21{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$ was determined the concentration of $24.15\;{\mu}g/mL\;and\;\;22.46\;{\mu}g/mL$ with and without S-9, respectively. In the comet assay, DNA damage was not observed both $21{\alpha}-methylmelianodiol\;and\;21{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$ in mouse lymphoma cell line. Also, the mutant frequencies in the treated cultures were similar to the vehicle controls, and none of $21{\alpha}\;-and\;{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$ with and without S-9 doses induced a mutant frequency over. twice the background. It is suggests that $21{\alpha}\;-and\;{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$ are non-mutagenic in MOLY assay. The results of this battery of assays indicate that $21{\alpha}\;-and\;{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$ have no genotoxic potential in bacterial or mammalian cell systems. Therefore, we suggest that $21{\alpha}\;-and\;{\beta}-methylmelianodiol$, as the optimal candidates with both no genotoxic potential and IL-5 inhibitory effects must be chosen.

• Communications of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.293-320
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• 2006

Using calculus inequalities and embedding theorems in $R^1$, we establish $W^1_2$-estimates for the solutions of prey-predator population model with cross-diffusion and self-diffusion terms. Two cases are considered; (i) $d_1\;=\;d_2,\;{\alpha}_{12}\;=\;{\alpha}_{21}\;=\;0$, and (ii) $0\;<\;{\alpha}_{21}\;<\;8_{\alpha}_{11},\;0\;<\;{\alpha}_{12}\;<\;8_{\alpha}_{22}$. It is proved that solutions are bounded uniformly pointwise, and that the uniform bounds remain independent of the growth of the diffusion coefficient in the system. Also, convergence results are obtained when $t\;{\to}\;{\infty}$ via suitable Liapunov functionals.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.287-291
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• 2009

The ${\alpha}/{\beta}$-tubulin heterodimer is the basic subunit of microtubules in eukaryotes. Polyclonal antibodies specific to recombinant ${\alpha}$-tubulin of Giardia lamblia were made, and found effective as a probe to specifically detect G. lamblia by immunofluorescence assays. Nucleotide sequences of ${\alpha}$-tubulin genes were compared between G. lamblia WB and GS strains, prototypes of assemblage A and assemblage B, respectively. A set of primers was designed and used to amplify a portion of the ${\alpha}$-tubulin gene from G. lamblia. PCR-RFLP analysis of this ${\alpha}$-tubulin PCR product successfully differentiated G. lamblia into 2 distinct groups, assemblages A and B.Theresults indicate that ${\alpha}$-tubulin can be used as a molecular probe to detect G.lamblia.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.243-250
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• 2009

Recent studies suggest a novel role of $HIF-1{\alpha}$ under nonhypoxic conditions, including antibacterial and antiviral innate immune responses. However, the identity of the pathogen-associated molecular pattern which triggers $HIF-1{\alpha}$ activation during the antiviral response remains to be identified. Here, we demonstrate that cellular administration of double-stranded nucleic acids, the molecular mimics of viral genomes, results in the induction of $HIF-1{\alpha}$ protein level as well as the increase in $HIF-1{\alpha}$ target gene expression. Whole-genome DNA microarray analysis revealed that double-stranded nucleic acid treatment triggers induction of a number of hypoxia-inducible genes, and induction of these genes are compromised upon siRNA-mediated $HIF-1{\alpha}$ knock-down. Interestingly, $HIF-1{\alpha}$ knock-down also resulted in down-regulation of a number of genes involved in antiviral innate immune responses. Our study demonstrates that $HIF-1{\alpha}$ activation upon nucleic acid-triggered antiviral innate immune responses plays an important role in regulation of genes involved in not only hypoxic response, but also immune response.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.525-529
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• 2011

We introduce the concept of IVF almost ${\alpha}$-continuity and investigate characterizations for such mappings on the interval-valued fuzzy topological spaces. We study the relationships between IVF almost ${\alpha}$-continuous mappings and another types of IVF continuous mappings.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.439-445
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• 2017

Objective: Production of alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase (${\alpha}GT$)-deficient pigs is essential to overcome xenograft rejection in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. However, the production of such pigs requires a great deal of cost, time, and labor. Heterozygous ${\alpha}GT$ knockout pigs should be bred at least for two generations to ultimately obtain homozygote progenies. The present study was conducted to produce ${\alpha}GT$-deficient miniature pigs in much reduced time using mitotic recombination in neonatal ear skin fibroblasts. Methods: Miniature pig fibroblasts were transfected with ${\alpha}GT$ gene-targeting vector. Resulting gene-targeted fibroblasts were used for nuclear transfer (NT) to produce heterozygous ${\alpha}GT$ gene-targeted piglets. Fibroblasts isolated from ear skin biopsies of these piglets were cultured for 6 to 8 passages to induce loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and treated with biotin-conjugated IB4 that binds to galactose-${\alpha}$-1,3-galactose, an epitope produced by ${\alpha}GT$. Using magnetic activated cell sorting, cells with monoallelic disruption of ${\alpha}GT$ were removed. Remaining cells with LOH carrying biallelic disruption of ${\alpha}GT$ were used for the second round NT to produce homozygous ${\alpha}GT$ gene-targeted piglets. Results: Monoallelic mutation of ${\alpha}GT$ gene was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction in fibroblasts. Using these cells as nuclear donors, three heterozygous ${\alpha}GT$ gene-targeted piglets were produced by NT. Fibroblasts were collected from ear skin biopsies of these piglets, and homozygosity was induced by LOH. The second round NT using these fibroblasts resulted in production of three homozygous ${\alpha}GT$ knockout piglets. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that the time required for the production of ${\alpha}GT$-deficient miniature pigs could be reduced significantly by postnatal skin biopsies and subsequent selection of mitotic recombinants. Such procedure may be beneficial for the production of homozygote knockout animals, especially in species, such as pigs, that require a substantial length of time for breeding.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.641-643
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• 2000