• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2003

Objective:Under the hypothesis that 5-HTTLPR polymorphism plays some role in the susceptibility or vulnerability of some subgroup of alcohol dependence, associations of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism with alcohol dependence were examined. Method:This association analysis included 109 Korean alcohol dependent and 113 Korean control subjects. DNA of all subjects were genotyped for the biallelic functional polymorphism in the 5-HTTLPR. Considering the likelihood of heterogeneity in the alcohol dependence phenotype, alcohol dependent subjects were subgrouped by onset age, family history of alcohol dependence and severity of withdrawal symptoms. Results:There were no significant differences in the frequencies of either the 5-HTTLPR genotype or the short vs. long allele in alcohol dependent and control subjects. The frequency of the S allele and S-carrier (LS or SS genotype) was significantly increased in the early onset alcohol dependent subjects and the familial alcohol dependent subjects compared with that in the control subjects. Conclusion:The results suggest that the 5-HTT 'S' promoter polymorphism is associated with an increased susceptibility or vulnerability to develop early onset alcohol dependence and familial alcohol dependence, which characterize Cloninger's type 2 alcohol dependence.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.170-177
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• 2006

Objectives : Disturbances of serotonergic system might be related to the possible mechanism of social phobia. This study was to investigate the association of serotonin transporter gene and social phobia. Methods : Sixty nine patients with social phobia(51 male(73.9%), mean age $35.17{\pm}11.89$ years) and seventy four normal controls(54 male(73.0%), mean age $33.46{\pm}9.63$ years) were tested for serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region(5-HTTLPR) polymorphism. Additionally, patients were grouped into 46 generalized(GEN) and 23 nongeneralized(NGEN) subgroups and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was compared with that of normal controls. The genotypes and allele frequencies of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism between social phobia and the control group were compared. Genomic DNA was extracted from their blood and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms were determined by using polymerase chain reaction. Results : Significant association was observed between the S(ss) genotype and social phobia, by functional classification(p=.010). In allele frequency analysis, a significant association was also observed between the short allele and social phobia(p=.030). A significant associations between S genotype and each subgroup were observed(GEN p=.045 ; NGEN p=.033), but there were no differences in allele frequency. And, no differences in genotype and allele distribution between two subgroups were found. Conclusion : The results in our Korean sample suggest that S genotype of 5-HTTLPR may be associated with social phobia and s allele may be an important genetic factor that activates social phobic symptoms. But, further studies including large number of samples are necessary to elucidate these present findings.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2007

Objectives : There have been many association studies of panic disorder. However, studies about the dopaminergic function in panic disorder have been few. This study was aimed to examine the possible association of dopamine transporter gene(DAT1) polymorphism and panic disorder in Korean population. Methods : Ninety-eight patients with panic disorder(43 male(46.9%), mean age $42.13{\pm}10.88$ years) and one hundred and thirteen comparison subjects(67 male(40.7%), mean age $33.14{\pm}8.55$ years) were tested for DAT1 polymorphism. Genotypes of DAT1 with variable number of tandem repeats(VNTR) were determined using polymerase chain reaction. The differences of allelic frequency and genotype frequency distribution between patient and the control group were tested with Fisher-Freeman-Halton test. Results : There was association between DAT1 polymorphism and panic disorder(allele : p<0.03, genotype : p<0.05). The frequency of 10/10 homozygotes of DAT1 was significantly higher in control group(${\chi}^2$=4.452, df=1, p=0.035). Conclusion : These results in our Korean samples suggest that DAT1 polymorphism might be associated with the vulnerability of panic disorder. Possible association of dopaminergic genes and panic disorder should be investigated with future studies using larger and different population.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2004

Objective:Although polymorphism of dopamine transporter gene(DAT1) has been considered to be implicated in the pathogenesis of social phobia, previous investigations have been inconsistent and controversial. The authors investigated the relationship between DAT1 polymorphism and social phobia in Koreans. Methods:DAT1 and alleles of fifty subjects who met DSM-IV criterion of social phobia, and those of age- & sex- matched fifty normal controls in Korea were compared. Additionally, patients were grouped into generalized(33) and nongeneralized(17) types and DAT1 polymorphism was compared with that of age- & sex- matched controls. DAT1 with variable number of tandem repeats(VNTR) were determined by using polymerase chain reaction. To compare the distribution of the DAT1 polymorphism between different groups, Fisher's exact test was used. Results:There were no significant differences in either genotypic(p=0.451) or allelic(p=0.452) distributions between the social phobia patients and the controls. There also were no differences in genotypic distribution between subtypes of social phobia patients and the controls. Conclusion:We couldn't find any association between DAT1 polymorphism and social phobia. Further studies including larger number of samples and diverse clinical variables should be conducted to elucidate the present findings.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.239-245
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• 2001

Objective : Dopamine transporter is member of family of Na/Cl dependent neurotransmitter transporter, 12 transmembrane domain, that has high substrate specificity, affinity. It is related with dopamine reuptake in presynaptic vesicle. DAT has a VNTR in its 3'-untranslated region(UTR). 3'-UTR VNTR polymorphism is related with modification of dopamine transmission. The association between with VNTR polymorphism and neuropsychiatric disorders such as alcohol dependence, and low activity ALDH has been studied, but their relationship is unclear. We study about association of 3'-UTR VNTR of DAT gene and G2319A and alcohol dependence. Method : Group of Korean subjects were studied with alcohol dependence(n=49 male) compared to mentally healthy controls(n=53 male). The peripheral blood sample was acquired, and Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) amplification, MspI procedure was done. Result : There was a significant difference between alcohol dependence group and normal control(genotype frequency p<0.05, allele frequency p<0.05) Allele A frequency and genotype(GG, GA) frequency was a significant difference between alcohol dependence group and normal control(p<0.05). Conclusion : Our study showed that genetic polymorphism of DAT1 G2319A had relation with alcohol dependence.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2001

As numbers of serotonin's function are so many, studies of serotonin are numerous nowadays. In the beginning, concentration of metabolites such as 5-HIAA was a key issue, but recent studies have been challenged for serotonin receptor genes and their relation to mood disoder. Serotonin transporter(5-HTT) gene is a strong candidate gene of mood disoder for following reason. Serotonin transporter is a key protein in the serotonin pathway as it regulate the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic clept and essential pathophysiology of depression is dysregulation of 5-HTT so that all antidepressants have effect of 5-HTT antagonist. The decrease of 5-HTT in the platelet and in brain of the depressive patients is much consistent results in the studies of the pathophysiology of mood disorder till now. By this, we will be able to develop simple and easy marker for diagnosis, type, and treatment monitoring of depression. Many psychiatrists have sought the independent genes in relation to depression or schizophrenia. Obviously, the hereditary vulnerability contributes to etiology of mood disorders, but it is difficult to discriminate the independent genes because of many environmental factors. Moreover, in the hereditarily complex diseases such as mood disorder, the only vulnerability of gene can not sufficiently explain the etiology. In the future, to exclude the role of the gene-environmental interaction, the methods such as gene transfer can be considered. In the opposite direction, by using the gene destruction method, the role of target genes can be examined. As yet the concept of the gene expression, neural plasticity, neurogenesis and etc, is the elementary stage. The development of this field will help to establish the treatment strategy of chronic and refractory mood disorders.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2016

In this short review, the polymer electrolyte membranes consisting of polymer and Ag salts were introduced and various approaches to solve the long-term stability were summarized. In particular, utilizing $AgNO_3$ as carriers with ionic liquid, the replacement of polymer matrix as poly(ethylene phthalate) (PEP) for strong coordinative interactions with Ag ions and the introduction of $Al(NO_3)_3$ to $polymer/AgBF_4$ complexes were introduced for long-term stable facilitated olefin transport membranes. For the polymer nanocomposite membranes, the role of electron acceptors as polarizer on the surface of AgNPs and the approach to solve the low permeance were introduced.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 1988

Three alleles of rbsB gene, rbsB, rbsB103, and rbsB106 from the wild type, the mutant and the revertant strain, respectively, were cloned for overproduction of proteins under the control of lambda $P_{L}$ promoter. Five different species of precursor and mature ribose-binding proteins were purified to homogeneity using DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography, osmotic shock pocedure, CM-Sephadex column chromatography, and Chromatofocusing column chromaography. pI of the precursor proteins and mature proteins were determined and found to be pH 8.0 and 7.5, respectively. The purified proteins were subjected to amino acid sequencing. The results confirmed the amino acid changes deduced from the DNA sequencing.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.221-229
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• 1975

The effect of adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate on the ATPase activity and on the active transport of Ca of the sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments of the rabbit skeletal muscle was studied. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) had no effect on the ATPase activity of the fragments (8,000 ~ 20,000 $\times$ G and 20,000 ~ 36,000 $\times$ G fractions). $N^6$, O^{2'} -Dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP) had either no effect on the activity. On the other hand, theophylline (1 mM) increased the activity by about 20%. The active uptake of Ca by the sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments was inhibited by the presence of 1$\times$$10^{-6}$ ~ 1 $\times$ $10^{-3}$M of cAMP. The presence of DBcAMP or theophylline also inhibited the uptake. It is, therefore, concluded that the Ca uptake of the sarcoplasmic reticulum seems to be controlled by cAMP.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.334-342
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• 2012

It is connected with various gauges existing in Euro-Asian continents. Such differences impedes the operation seriously as on the contact of railway tracks of different gauge the cargo must be either transshipped or the running assemblies of rail vehicles must be exchanged. Those operations are costly, time-consuming and require extended infrastructure together with very expensive storage and transshipment facilities at border-crossing point. Moreover, those operations extend transportation time considerably. Therefore, effectiveness of railway transportation systems significantly depends on track gauge change 1435/1520mm, which connects with complicated handling-shifting operations. The paper concerns assessment of effectiveness in strategical rail systems with gauge changing. The paper presents short description of transport system with gauge changing and initial assessment of shifting technologies. Method of system assessment comparison based on Life Cycle Cost model is described here as well.