• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.385-404
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• 2011

We examined how emotional background stimuli influence focused attention in a flanker task. An IAPS picture was presented for 1,000ms in advance, then a target and two flanker letters were presented against the IAPS picture for 200ms(Experiment 1). The flanking stimuli were simultaneously presented on the left and right sides of the target stimulus with distance of $0.5^{\circ}C$, $1^{\circ}C$, or $1.5^{\circ}C$ visual angle. We investigated the flanker compatibility effect that identification of target would be faster when they were flanked by identical(compatible) stimuli than when they were flanked by different(incompatible) stimuli. Results of Experiment 1 revealed that the flanker compatibility effect depended not only on the distance of flankers but also on the valence of a background IAPS pictures. Positive and neutral pictures showed distance effect that the flanker compatibility effect was decreased as the farther the distance was, while negative pictures showed no di stance effect. Positive and neutral pictures showed compatibility effects at all distance conditions, but negative pictures didn't showed compatibility effect at $1.5^{\circ}C$ distance condition. In Experiment 2, the SOA(Stimulus Onset Asynchrony) between the picture and the stimuli of flanker task was manipulated. The flanking stimuli were presented simultaneously on the left and right sides of the target stimulus with a distance of either $0.5^{\circ}C$ or $1.5^{\circ}C$ visual angle. The results of Experiment 2 showed that flanker compatibility effect depends on SOA. At long SOA(2800ms), negative pictures showed no distance effect, but positive or neutral pictures did. All valence conditions of background pictures showed compatibility effects at $0.5^{\circ}C$ distance condition, but didn't showed compatibility effect at $1.5^{\circ}C$ distance condition. At short SOA(100ms), all valence conditions of background pictures showed distance effect, and showed compatibility effects with the exception of negative background pictures at $1.5^{\circ}C$ distance condition. These findings suggest that the scope of visual attention becomes narrower when viewing negative emotional stimuli and becomes broadened when viewing positive emotional stimuli. The narrowed scope of attention in negative emotion lasts longer, while the broaden scope of attention in positive emotion lasts shorter.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-47
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• 2006

D2GSNP is a web-based server for the selection of single nucleotide polymorph isms (SNPs) within genes related to human diseases. The D2GSNP is based on a relational database created by downloading and parsing OMIM, GAD, and dbSNP, and merging it with positional information of UCSC Golden Path. Totally our server provides 5,142 and 1,932 non-redundant disease genes from OMIM and GAD, respectively. With the D2GSNP web interface, users can select SNPs within genes responding to certain diseases and get their flanking sequences for further genotyping experiments such as association studies.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2000

In previous study, both constitutive expression and 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC)-mediated elevation of CYP1A2 mRNA were demonstrated in human hepatoma HepG2 cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), suggesting that HepG2 cells would be appropriate for the study of human CYP1A2 regulation(Chung and Bresnick, 1994). Further studies were conducted to determine the basis of this induction phenomenon that is observed in HepG2 cells. Since CYP1A1 gene, another polycyclic hydrocarbon(PH)-inducible gene, is regulated by PHs through their interactions via receptors with cis-elements, the 5'-flanking region of human CYP 1A2 gene was analyzed to search such responsive elements. The promoter activity of various lengths of CYP1A2 gene sequence (-3203/+58bp) was measured in transiently-transfected HepG2 cells by fusion constructs containing the CAT, hGH or luciferase genes as a reporter. This region of the CYP1A2 gene, although containing a XRE, was only weakly responsive (less than 2 fold induction) to 10 nM of TCDD or 1 $\mu$M 3 MC treatment. This small enhancement of promoter activity is inconsistent with the previous observation, i.e., 12 to 14 fold-enhanced CYP1A2 mRNA from 1 $\mu$M 3 MC treated HepG2 cells, suggesting that additional mechanisms would exist for PH-mediated induction of CYP1A2 in these cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 1999

Since it has been known that hypoxia increases inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression through hypoxia responsive element, it was possible to establish the hypothesis that nitric oxide could be a mediator of hypoxia to inhibit Cyplal promoter activity. In order to test this hypothesis, we have undertaken the study to examine the effects of hypoxia and nitric oxide on Cyplal promoter activity in Hepa I cells. Mouse Cyplal 5'flanking DNA, 1.6 Kb was cloned into pGL3 expression vector in order to construct pmCyplal-Luc. Hepa I cells were transfected with pmCyplal-Luc and were treated with $10^{-9}$ M TCDD and nitric oxide producing agents, such as lipopolysaccharide(LPS), sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Luciferase activity of reporter gene was measured from pmCyplal-Luc transfected Hepa I cell lysate which contains 2 g total protein using luciferin as a substrate. Nitric oxide producing agents, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), sodium nitroprusside(SNP) showed inhibition of luciferase activity that was induced by $10^{-9}$M TCDD treatment with dose dependent manner. Concomitant treatment of 1mM $N^G$-nitro-ι-arginine with $10^{-6}$~$10^{-4}$M sodium nitro-prusside recovered luciferase activity from the TCDD induced luciferase activity that was inhibited by nitric oxide producing agents. These demonstrated that nitric oxide could be a mediator of inhibitors on dioxin induced Cyplal expression in Hepa I cells.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 1997

To develope the novel baculovirus transfer vector, the p10 gene was cloned from the Bombyx mori nuclear polygedrosis virus (BmNPV) vB2 strain isolated from the B. mori larvae of sericultural farms. The novel transfer vector was constructed by using the p10 gene of BmNPV vB2 strain was 210 bp. The TAAG sequence at the -71 bp of upstream from translation initiator ATG and two polyadenylation signal site at the downstream from terminator TAA were also detected in the p10 gene. The 5' and 3' flanking region of the p10 gene amplified by PCR was cloned into pBluescriptII SK(+) and then transfer vector pBm10 was construceted. The 7.9 kb pBm10 was analysed by restriction enzymes and the map was confirmed. In order to determine the expression of foreign gene of pBm10, $\beta$-galactosidase gene was inserted in the SmaI site of foreign gene cloning site of pBm10. The pBm10 containing $\beta$-galactosidase gene was cotranfected wth genomic DNA of BmNPV vB2 into BmN-4 cells. The recombinant baculovirus expressing $\beta$-galactosidase was also produced polygedra in the infected cells. The results indicated that pBm10 is functional, suggesting that in the baculovirus expression vector system, the recombinant virus produced by pBm10 was effective by oral infection for the producing recombinant proteins in in vivo expression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2015

Genome walking is a par ticular application for identifying sequences of unknown genomic regions adjacent to a known region. Many genome walking methods based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are available. Even if earlier techniques suffer from low reproducibility, inefficiency, and non-specificity, improved strategies have been developed. In this study, we present an alternative strategy: the genomic DNA is digested with restriction enzymes. After cytosine overhangs at 5' ends, the fragments are ligated to linker adaptor s had guanine overhang at 3' ends. Then nested PCR is performed. The improvements in this strategy focus on two points. The first is the C tailing method using Pfu polymerase instead of the A tailing method based on nontemplate-dependent terminal transferase activity of Taq polymerase. Therefore unintended modification of target DNA can be prevented without A tailing error. The second point is the use of C/G-specific ligation had advantage in the ligation efficiency compared with A/T-specific ligation. Therefore, the C-G linker PCR method increases ligation efficiency between digested genomic DNA and adaptor DNA. As a result, the quantity of target DNA to amplify by PCR is enriched. We successfully used G-C linker PCR to retrieve flanking regions bordering the phophinothricin resistance gene in genetically modified tobacco (GMO).

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 1999

Thirteen transcriptionally-fused carbon starvation mutants, derived from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633, were analyzed for their survivability and transcriptional induction profiles upon carbon starvation. One of these mutants, MK114, which exhibited the lowest survivability and the highest induction rate, was selected and further examined under different starvation (nitrogen and phosphate) and stress (osmolarity, H2O2, salts, alcohol, and heat) conditions. Under all tested conditions MK114 induced ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity, implying that the interrupted gene (cst114) is a general starvation and stress response gene. The rate of induction ranged from 2.6-fold for phosphate starvation to 3.7-fold for osmotic shock. The mini-Tn5 flanking DNA was cloned from the chromosome of MK114. The cloned DNA fragment exhibited carbon starvation activity, indicating that this fragment contains a carbon starvation-related promoter region. This region was partially sequenced. Possible physiological roles of Cst114 in a carbon sensing mechanism and in other stress responses are also discussed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.204-209
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• 2008

The cDNAs encoding glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were cloned and sequenced from the liver of three Chinese carps with different tolerance to hepatotoxic microcystins, phyto-planktivorous silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), and herbivorous grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Using genome walker method, a 750 bp 5'-flanking region of the silver carp GPx gene was obtained, and several potential regulatory elements were identified in the promoter region of the GPx gene. The silver carp GPx gene was widely expressed in all tissues examined. Despite phylogenetic analysis, assigning this newly described carp GPx to the group of mammalian GPx2, the carp GPx seems more similar to GPx1 from a physiological point of view. The constitutive expression pattern of the three carp liver GPx gene, shows a positive relationship with their tolerance to microcystins.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.188-193
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• 2007

The Functional Element SNPs Database (FESD) categorizes functional elements in human genic regions and provides a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within each area. Users may select a set of SNPs in specific functional elements with haplotype information and obtain flanking sequences for genotyping. Our previous version of FESD has been improved in several ways. We regenerated all the data in FESD II from recently updated source data such as HapMap, UCSC GoldenPath, dbSNP, OMIM, and $TRANSFAC^{(R)}$. Users can obtain information about tagSNPs and simulate LD blocks for each gene from four ethnicities in the HapMap project on the fly. FESD II employs a Java/JSP web interface for better platform portability and higher speed than PHP in the previous version. As a result, FESD II provides its users with more powerful information about functional element SNPs of human ethnicities.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.187-193
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• 2012

Serine proteases are major insect enzymes involved in the digestion of dietary proteins and in the process of blood meal digestion. In this study, cDNA was constructed using the whole body of Laccotrephes japonensis. The flanking sequences of the 5- and 3- end of this gene were characterized by RACE-PCR. Sequence analysis showed that this gene contained a 963-bp ORF encoding 320 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 62% identity with the Creontiades dilutus serine protease, 58% with the Lygus lineolaris trypsin precursor, and 54% with the Triatoma infestans salivary trypsin. To assess the expression of the L. japonensis serine protease (JGsp), the JGsp gene was cloned into a baculovirus transfer vector, pBac-1, and expressed in Sf9 cells (Spodoptera frugiperda). SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis have shown that the JGsp recombinant protein was a monomer with a molecular weight of about 32 kDa. Recombinant JGsp has shown activity in the protease enzyme assay using gelatin as a substrate.