• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.782-789
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• 2013

Carrot (Daucus carota L. var. sativa) is one of the most widely used crops in the world and is nutritionally important crop. However, seed-hair which is generated in epidermal cell of seeds causes the difficulty of the seedling process, because of the seed germination and absorption inhibitions. For these reasons, carrot seeds are commercialized after mechanical hair removal process. However, in this process, various damage and seed loss occur and breeding of hairless-seed carrot cultivar is needed to overcome these various weaknesses and additional seed production costs. In this study, cDNA libraries using 2 combinations, which were composed of short-hair seed CT-ATR 615 OP 666-13 & long-hair seed CT-ATR 615 OP 671-9, and short-hair seed CT-SMR 616 OP 659-1 & long-hair seed CT-SMR 616 OP 677-14, were constructed and EST sequences of each individuals were analyzed to reveal carrot seed-hair characteristics. Firstly, analyzed EST sequences were classified into FunCat functional categories. As a result, significant differences have been identified in metabolism category, protein folding and stabilization, protein binding, C-compound binding category from both of two combinations. Secondly, several candidate EST sequences related to seed trichome differentiation and cellulose biosynthetic process were selected based on GO data of EST sequences. These differences based on FunCat categories and candidate EST obtained by GO data analysis are thought to be involved in the formation of carrot seed hair. Finally, 741 SSR sites and 33 SNP sites were identified from analyzed EST sequences of two combinations. Then we designed SNP and SSR primer sets to develop molecular markers. These molecular markers will be used for classification of carrot cultivars and study seed-hair characteristic.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2015

Genetic polymorphisms of adipocyte determination and differentiation factor 1 (ADD1) gene were screened in Hanwoo and Jeju Black cattle-derived commercial (JBC-DC) populations. The ADD1 genotypes were determined using the presence/absence of 84-bp fragment at intron 7 region. The association of ADD1 genotypes for economic traits was examined in both populations. In the Hanwoo steers, ADD1 D/- carcasses showed significantly thicker backfat levels than those from WW (p<0.05). However, the thickest level of backfat appeared in WD heterozygotes, whereas thicker backfat did not appear in DD homozygotes in the JBC-DC population (p<0.05), leading to the supposition that synergic effects of alleles W and D increase backfat deposition. On the other hand, there was no association between the ADD1 genotypes and intramuscular fat deposition measured as meat quality index and marbling score. From these results, we concluded that the bovine ADD1 affected the backfat in subcutaneous tissue, rather than intramuscular fat in muscle tissue. In addition, the DD animals showed higher levels of meat color than those from W/- (p<0.05). Interestingly, a highly significant difference was found between the genotypes and carcass weights only in the JBC-DC population, and D/- animals were heavier by more than 38 kg than those from WW (p<0.001). The results of this study reveal faster growth rate and differences in steer productivity according to genotypes of the ADD1 gene. These findings demonstrate that ADD1 genotypes may effectively function as molecular genetic markers for the improvement of Hanwoo and Jeju Black cattle-related crossbreeding systems.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between the expression of Heat shock protein70 (HSP70), Raf-1 and Bcl-2-associated athanogene-1 (BAG1) protein in diffuse type gastric carcinoma and examine association of HSP70, Raf-1 and BAG1 expression with various clinic-pathological factors and survival. Heat shock protein70 is induced in the cells in response to various stress conditions, including carcinogens. Overexpression of heat shock protein 70 has been observed in many types of cancer. The proto-oncoprotein Raf is pivotal for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and its aberrant activation has been implicated in multiple human cancers. Overexpression of BAG1 protein has been documented in some type of human cancer. BAG1 has been reported to interact with protein involved with a variety of signal pathway, and regulation of cell differentiation, survival and apoptosis. These interaction partners include HSP70 and Raf-1. The percentage of tumors exhibiting HSP70 positivity was significantly in cases of positive lymph node metastasis (64.9%) compared to cases without lymph node metastasis (35.1%, p=0.007). HS70 expression was correlated with pathological N-stage (p=0.006). Expression of BAG1 was detected in the majority of diffuse type gastric carcinoma tissues (71.7%), especially in younger patients (80% vs 52.6%, p=0.035). Furthermore BAG1 expression was correlated with tumor size (p=0.020). Raf-1 expression was found to be significantly associated with tumor size (p=0.005). The result indicate that HSP70 was significantly correlated the progression of diffuse type gastric cancer. Expression of BAG1 and Raf-1 may be used as diagnostic markers for gastric carcinoma.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1121-1129
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• 2016

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) are extremely important determinants of the functional properties of wheat dough. Transgenic rice plants containing a wheat TaGlu-Ax1 gene encoding a HMG-GS were produced from the Korean wheat cultivar ‘Jokyeong’ and used to enhance the bread-making quality of rice dough using the Agrobacterium-mediated co-transformation method. Two expression cassettes with separate DNA fragments containing only TaGlu-Ax1 and hygromycin phosphotransferase II (HPTII) resistance genes were introduced separately into the Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 strain for co-infection. Rice calli were infected with each EHA105 strain harboring TaGlu-Ax1 or HPTII at a 3:1 ratio of TaGlu-Ax1 and HPTII. Among 210 hygromycin-resistant T₀ plants, 20 transgenic lines harboring both the TaGlu-Ax1 and HPTII genes in the rice genome were obtained. The integration of the TaGlu-Ax1 gene into the rice genome was reconfirmed by Southern blot analysis. The transcripts and proteins of the wheat TaGlu-Ax1 were stably expressed in rice T₁ seeds. Finally, the marker-free plants harboring only the TaGlu-Ax1 gene were successfully screened in the T₁ generation. There were no morphological differences between the wild-type and marker-free transgenic plants. The quality of only one HMW-GS (TaGlu-Ax1) was unsuitable for bread making using transgenic rice dough. Greater numbers and combinations of HMW and LMW-GSs and gliadins of wheat are required to further improve the processing qualities of rice dough. TaGlu-Ax1 marker-free transgenic plants could provide good materials to make transgenic rice with improved bread-making qualities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1644-1650
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to screen the polymorphisms and distribution of each genotype of insertion/ deletion (indel) markers which were found in a preliminary comparative study of bovine genomic sequence databases. Comparative bioinformatic analyses were first performed between the nucleotide sequences of Bovine Genome Project and those of expressed sequence tag (EST) database, and a total of fifty-one species of indel markers were screened. Of these, forty-two indel markers were evaluated, and nine informative indel markers were ultimately selected for population analysis. Nucleotide sequences of each marker were re-sequenced and their polymorphic patterns were typed in six cattle breeds: Holstein, Angus, Charolais, Hereford, and two Korean native cattle breeds (Hanwoo and Jeju Black cattle). Cattle breeds tested in this study showed polymorphic patterns in eight indel markers but not in the Indel-15 marker in Charolais and Holstein. The results of analysis for Jeju Black cattle (JBC) population indicated an observed heterozygosity (Ho) that was highest in HW_G1 (0.600) and the lowest in Indel_29 (0.274). The PIC value was the highest in HW_G4 (0.373) and lowest in Indel_6 (0.305). These polymorphic indel markers will be useful in supplying genetic information for parentage tests and traceability and to develop a molecular breeding system for improvement of animal production in cattle breeds as well as in the JBC population.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1070-1077
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• 2017

Chondrocyte apoptosis induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Schisandrin A, a bioactive compound found in fruits of the Schisandra genus, has been reported to possess multiple pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Although several studies have described the antioxidant effects of analogues of schisandrin A, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this bioactive compound remain largely unresolved. The present study investigated the cytoprotective effect of schisandrin A against oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide [$H_2O_2$]) in SW1353 human chondrocyte cells. The results showed that schisandrin A preconditioning significantly inhibited $H_2O_2-induced$ growth inhibition and apoptotic cell death by blocking the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase proteins and down-regulating pro-caspase-3. These antiapoptotic effects of schisandrin A were associated with attenuation of mitochondrial dysfunction and normalization of expression changes of proapoptotic Bax and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 in $H_2O_2-stimulated$ SW1353 chondrocytes. Furthermore, schisandrin A effectively abrogated $H_2O_2-induced$ intracellular ROS accumulation and phosphorylation of histone H2AX at serine 139, a widely used marker of DNA damage. Thus, the present study demonstrates that schisandrin A provides protection against $H_2O_2-induced$ apoptosis and DNA damage in SW1353 chondrocytes, possibly by prevention of ROS generation. Collectively, our data indicate that schisandrin A has therapeutic potential in the treatment of oxidative disorders caused by overproduction of ROS.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.390-396
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• 2010

A weedy rice, Ganghwaaengmi 11, shows high level of leaf blast resistance. The chromosomal number and locations of genes conferring the leaf blast resistance were detected by QTL (quantitative trait loci) analysis using SSR markers in the 120 RILs (recombinant inbred lines) derived from the cross between Nagdongbyeo and Ganghwaaengmi 11. Ganghwaaengmi 11 expressed compatibility with 20 of the 45 inoculated blast isolates, in contrast to Nagdongbyeo with 44 compatible isolates. To identify QTLs affecting partial resistance, RILs were assessed in upland blast nursery in three regions and inoculated with selected nine blast isolates. QTLs for resistance to blast isolates were identified on chromosomes 7, 11 and 12. Three QTLs associated with blast resistance in nursery test at three regions were also detected on chromosomes 7, 11 and 12. The QTL commonly detected on chromosome 12 was only increased blast resistance by Ganghwaaengmi 11 allele. This QTL accounted for 60.3~78.6% of the phenotypic variation in the blast nursery test. OSR32 and RM101 markers tightly linked to QTL for blast resistance on chromosome 12 might be useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) and gene pyramiding to improve the blast resistance of japonica rice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1507-1515
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• 2018

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by prostatic hypertrophy mainly in the elderly. Corni Fructus is reportedly effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, but its efficacy on BPH has not been previously studied. In the present study, we investigated whether or not a Corni Fructus water extract (CF) could prevent testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. To induce BPH, castrated rats were subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP). CF was administered daily by oral gavage, along with the TP injections, and finasteride, a selective inhibitor of $5{\alpha}$-reductase type 2, was used as a positive control. The results show that CF significantly reduces prostate weight and histopathologic changes while also decreasing levels of serum dihydrotestosterone, similar to the finasteride-treated group. CF also suppresses TP-induced $5{\alpha}$-reductase expression and concentration in prostate tissue and serum, respectively. Furthermore, CF markedly inhibited TP-induced expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and the steroid receptor coactivator 1, an AR coactivator, which was associated with a decrease in prostate-specific antigen levels in both serum and prostate tissue. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that CF weakens BPH status by inactivation of $5{\alpha}$-reductase and AR.

• ANNALS OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.150-157
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• 2018

The Zygote arrest 1 (ZAR1) gene is known to affect early embryonic development in various vertebrates. In this study, we performed the association analysis to check whether there is any significant relationship between semen kinematic characteristics and the ZAR1 gene. To determine semen kinematic characteristics, we measured motility (MOT), straight-line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP), linearity (LIN), straightness (STR), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), and beat cross frequency (BCF) of spermatozoa in boars. In order to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we extracted genomic DNA from multiple Duroc boars, and then subsequently used them in sequencing reactions. As a result, three SNPs were detected in the intronic region of ZAR1 gene (g.2435T>C in intron 2, g.2605G>A and g.4633A>C in intron 3 ). SNPs g.2435T>C and g.2605G>A were significantly associated with MOT (p<0.01) and VSL (p<0.05), and g.4633A

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2020

The genus Edwardsiella belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae is a member of Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria that cause disease in diverse aquatic organisms such as fish, amphibians and reptiles as well as avians and mammals including human throughout the world. This genus had been composed of three species, E. hoshinae, E. ictaluri and E. tarda, but recent researches erected two novel species, E. anguillarum and E. piscicida that were conventionally identified as E. tarda. In this study, we isolated seven strains belonging to the genus Edwardsiella from freshwater fishes that had been reared at inland fish farms in South Korea and investigated their biochemical characteristics and molecular phylogenetic relationships. The seven strains showed typical characteristics of four Edwardsiella species, E. anguillarum, E. ictaluri, E. piscicida and E. tarda, by biochemical analyses of Gram staining, indole and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production, and API (Analytic Profile Index) 20E test. Molecular phylogenetic analyses inferred from DNA sequence data of both 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB) genes were congruent with the biochemical characteristics. As a result, both biochemical and molecular phylogenetic analyses identified four strains isolated from three Anguilla species as E. anguillarum, E. piscicida and E. tarda, two strains from Pelteobagrus fulvidraco and Silurus asotus as E. ictaluri, and one strain from Moroco oxycephalus as E. piscicida. In this study, we isolated and successfully identified recently newly erected species, E. anguillarum and E. piscicida in addition to historically notorious pathogenic species, E. ictaluri and E. tarda. In the future study, systematic and comprehensive monitoring of the four Edwardsiella species are required for studying differences in pathogenicity among freshwater fishes.