• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.176-176
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• 2003

In the previous studies, some genetic polymorphisms in the human mitochondrial DNA have been associated with athletic performance in several populations. To investigate the relationship between mitochondrial DNA 5178A/C polymorphism and athletic performance in Korean population, blood samples were collected from 100 male Korean elite athletes and 64 sedentary controls. There was no significant difference in allele frequency of mitochondrial DNA 5178A/C polymorphism between two groups (P > 0.05). However, 5178A allele frequency in Korean population was very higher than those in other populations studied. Because it has been reported that this genetic polymorphisms is associated with longevity, further study will be needed to clarify the relationship between this genetic polymorphism and life expectancy of Korean population.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.68-73
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• 2003

The possibility of using the alkaline protocol of the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay as a method for detecting induced DNA damage has been studied for six major plants. The EMS was applied as a model genotoxic agent on young excised leaves of the tested crops for 18 h at 26$^{\circ}C$ in the dark. With increasing concentrations of 0 to 10 mM EMS, the DNA damage, expressed by the averaged median tail moment values, significantly increased in nuclei of all plants studied. As the results, no correlation between the diameter of nuclei and sensitivity to EMS treatment was observed. The data obtained demonstrate the feasibility of using the SCGE assay for detecting induced DNA damage in plants.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 2020

The object of this study was to obtain nuclear DNA content data for representatives of the 15 shellfish species that inhabit the coast of Korea. In the gastropoda group, the DNA content (pg DNA nucleus^-1) was 3.3±0.08 in Haliotis discus hannai and 2.4±0.18 in Batillus cornutus. In the bivalvia group, the DNA content(pg DNA nucleus^-1) was 2.0±0.15 in Scapharca broughtonii, 3.0±0.12 in Mytilus galloprovincialis, 2.9±0.05 in Meretrix lusoria, 2.2±0.03 in Meretrix lamarkii, 2.6±0.05 in Fulvia mutica, 1.8±0.18 in Tegillarca granosa, 3.3±0.01 in Solen corneus, 2.2±0.04 in Barnea manilensis, in 2.5±0.32 in Crassostrea gigas, 3.9±0.24 in Atrina pectinate, 3.5±0.15 in Patinopecten yessoensis, 1.9±0.16 in Amygdala philippinarum, and 2.3±0.14 in Pseudocardium sachalinensis. The results of this study provide new information for a better understanding of the genomic evolution process of the shellfish species investigated in this experiment.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.187-192
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• 2006

In order to know the biological effect of effluent from shipyard and the adjacent stream water on four organisms (flatfish, rockfish, sea squirt and arkshell) cultured around the shipyard, lethal rate and DNA damage were measured after 48 hr exposure and carried out by a single cell gel electrophoresis, namely comet assay. $LC_{50}$ (48 hr) could not be calculated in any organism 48 hours after exposure to effluent from shipyard and stream water, because all organism showed a lethal rate lower than 20%. Regardless of no acute toxicity, DNA damage of flatfish and rockfish was detected higher in Jang-Pyoung stream than in control, whereas sea squirt revealed higher DNA damage in laundry waste water. From these results, Jang-Pyoung stream seemed to have a relatively higher genotoxicity rather than effluent from shipyard.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.125-138
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• 2019

This study aims to highlight the possibility in identifying species composition of fish communities using the environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding technique, from both of the technical introduction and the pilot test at urban ecological streams. This new emerging survey technique using eDNA is getting popular in the world as a compensating way for the conventional field survey. However, the application to the domestic cases has yet to be studied. We attempted to use this technique for identifying fish species observed at four survey points in Hwangguji-chon, Suwon City. As a result, the detected number of species by eDNA sampled once in May was significantly matched with the total number of observed species in annual field surveys. Additionally eDNA results indicated the presence possibility of the unobserved species in field last year, even though the validation may be required. This survey technique seems to be more efficient and applicable to diverse situations of the fields and species, thereby needs to be studied further. We discussed the pros and cons of the application and summarized the research directions in future.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2014

Objectives: $^{32}P$-postlabeling assay is the most sensitive method of detecting DNA adduct formation. However, it is limited by a low sample throughput and use of radioisotopes (RI). In this study, we modified it to minimize these limitations and applied it to Z. platypus exposed to Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in order to investigate DNA adduct formation (effect biomarker for pollutants) in Z. platypus for assessing risk of waterborne BaP exposure. Methods: DNA hydrolysis was performed only with Micrococcal nuclease (MNase), RI reduction test was performed and the overlapping steps between thin layer chromatography (TLC) and radioisotope high-performance liquid chromatography (RI-HPLC) were omitted. The application of a modified method to Z. platypus exposed to BaP was performed. Results: The results revealed that the amount of RIs used can be reduced roughly 10-fold. Because the analysis time was shortened by 8.5 hours, the sample throughput per hour was increased compared with the previous method. The results of applying modified $^{32}P$-postlabeling assay to Z. platypus, DNA adduct formation in Z. platypus showed dose-dependency with the BaP concentration. Only BPDE-dGMP was detected as a DNA adduct. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the modified $^{32}P$-postlabeling assay is a suitable method for detecting DNA adduct formation in Z. platypus exposed to waterborne BaP and will be useful in risk assessment of carcinogenic effect in aquatic environment due to BaP.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.100-105
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• 1995

The effects of DNA polymerase $\beta$ on the somatic chromosome mutations and mitotic recombinations were investigated using the transgenic Drosophila beating chimetic gene consisting of a promoter region of Drosophila actin 5C gene and rat DNA polymerase $\beta$. For detecting the somatic chromosome mutations and mitotic recombinations, the heterozygous (mwh/+) strains possessing or lacking transgene poi 13 were used. The spontaneous frequency of small mwh spots, due to deletion or nondisjunction etc., in the non-transgenic w strain and the transgenic p[pol $\beta$]-130 strain was 0.351 and 0.606, respectively. The spontaneous frequency (0.063) of large mwh spots, arises mostly from somatic recombination between the centromere and the locus mwh, in the transgenic p[pol $\beta$]-130 strain was about three times higher than that (0.021) of the non-transgenic w strain. The mutant clone frequencies of small and large mwh spots induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and ethyl methanesulfonate in the transformant p[pol $\beta$]-130 were higher than those in the host strain w. The present results suggest that rat DNA polymerase $\beta$ participate at least in the somatic chromosome mutations and mitotic recombination processes.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2002

The single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay is one of the useful tools for the study of genetic damage in humans exposed to environmental mutagens and carcinogens. This study was undertaken to evaluate the status of DNA damage in peripheral lymphocytes depending on their sex, age, smoking habits, and other factors in normal healthy Korean population. The 99 volunteers included in the study and out of these, 36 volunteers were smoker and 63 volunteers were non-smoker aged between 20-59 years. All individual answered a questionnaire that assessed their general information including smoking habits and the extent of the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, and blood samples were obtained. There was a statistically significant difference in the extent of DNA damage between smoker and non-smoker (p<0.001). A significant difference was also observed between male and female (p<0.001) and amongst the different group of age (p<0.005), however, correlation analysis showed that only smoking habit was a significant factor for DNA damage. No significant effect of smoking duration, number of cigarettes smoking a day, SPY (smoke pack years) in smokers and environmental tobacco smoke exposure in non-smokers on the status of DNA damage was observed.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.97-103
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• 2005

The genotoxic effect of antimalarial drugs amodiaquine (AQ), mefloquine (MQ) and halofantrine (HF) was investigated in.at liver cells using the alkaline comet assay. AQ, MQ and HF at concentrations between $0-1000{\mu}mol/L$ significantly increased DNA strand breaks of rat liver cells dose-dependently. The order of induction of strand breaks was AQ>MQ>HF. The rat liver cells exposed to AQ and HF (200 and 400 ${\mu}mol/L$) and treated with (Fpg) the bacterial DNA repair enzyme that recognizes oxidized purine showed greater DNA damage than those not treated with the enzyme, providing evidence that AQ and HF induced oxidation of purines. Such an effect was not observed when MQ was treated with the enzyme. Treatment of cells with catalase, an enzyme inactivating hydrogen peroxide, decreased significantly the extent of DNA damage induced by AQ, and HF but not the one induced by MQ. Similarly quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid at $50{\mu}mol/L$ attenuated the extent of the formation of DNA strand breaks by both AQ and HE. Quercetin, however, did not modify the effects of MQ. These results indicate the genotoxicity of AQ, MQ and HF in rat liver cells. In addition, the results suggest that reactive oxygen species may be involved in the formation of DNA lesions induced by AQ and HF and that, free radical scavengers may elicit protective effects against genotoxicity of these antimalarial drugs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.343-354
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• 2009

Since Barker found associations between low birth weight and several chronic diseases later in life, the hypothesis of fetal origins of adult disease (aka, Barker Hypothesis) and epigenetics have been emerging as a new paradigm for geneenvironment interaction of chronic disease. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene silencing that occur without any change in DNA sequence. Gene expression can be regulated by several epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, which may be associated with chronic conditions, such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, and type-2 diabetes. One carbon metabolism which involves the transfer of a methyl group catalyzed by DNA methyltransferase is an important mechanism by which DNA methylation occurs in promoter regions and/or repetitive elements of the genome. Environmental factors may induce epigenetic modification through production of reactive oxygen species, alteration of methyltransferase activity, and/or interference with methyl donors. In this review, we introduce recent studies of epigenetic modification and environmental factors, such as heavy metals, environmental hormones, air pollution, diet and psychosocial stress. We also discuss epigenetic perspectives of early life environmental exposure and late life disease occurrence.