• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.294-304
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• 2016

Members of the genus Brassica, which are known as oil crops or cruciferous vegetables, are widely cultivated in Canada, Australia, Asian and Europe. Because Brassica species have high yields, are well adapted to their environments, and are self-incompatible, the germplasm is abundant. Previous studies have reported abundant genetic diversity even within Brassica subspecies. In Korea, fresh cabbage leaves are eaten with roast meat, and to meet the current popular demand, new varieties are being increasingly bred. To determine the genetic diversity and relationships among the cabbage vegetables in Korea, we evaluated the genetic variation of 18 accessions based on 5S and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences. We detected many variable nucleotide sites, especially in the 5S rRNA gene sequences. Because the length of the 18S rRNA gene might influence the dissimilarity rate statistics, we used both the 5S and 18S sequences to analyze the phylogenetic relationships. S7 (B. oleracea) showed the most distant phylogenetic relationship with the other Brassica species. Interestingly, B2 (B. oleracea), B15, and B18 (B. campestris) have three different types of leaf profiles, and were divided into one group, and the other Brassica species formed another group. Statistical analysis of interspecies and intraspecies genetic distances revealed that B. campestris L. showed higher genetic diversity than B. oleracea L. This work provides additional data that facilitates the evaluation of the genetic variation and relationships among Brassica species. The results could be used in functional plant breeding programs to improve Brassica crops.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.523-531
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• 2018

Tumour metastasis is one of the most serious challenges of cancer as it is the major cause of mortality in patients with solid tumours, including osteosarcoma (OS). In this regard, anti-metastatic genes have potential for metastasis inhibition strategies. Recent evidence showed the importance of breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) in control of OS invasiveness, but the regulation of BRMS1 in OS remains largely unknown. Here, we used bioinformatics analyses to predict BRMS1-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs), and the functional binding of miRNAs to BRMS1 mRNA was evaluated using a dual luciferase reporter assay. Among all BRMS1-targeting miRNAs, only miR-151b, miR-7-5p and miR-3200-5p showed significant expression in OS specimens. Specifically, we found that only miR-3200-5p significantly inhibited protein translation of BRMS1 via pairing to the 3'-UTR of the BRMS1 mRNA. Moreover, we detected significantly lower BRMS1 and significantly higher miR-3200-5p in the OS specimens compared to the paired adjacent non-tumour bone tissues. Furthermore, BRMS1 and miR-3200-5p levels were inversely correlated to each other. Low BRMS1 was correlated with metastasis and poor patient survival. In vitro, overexpression of miR-3200-5p significantly decreased BRMS1 levels and promoted OS cell invasion and migration, while depletion of miR-3200-5p significantly increased BRMS1 levels and inhibited OS cell invasion and migration. Thus, our study revealed that miR-3200-5p may be a critical regulator of OS cell invasiveness.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.256-260
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• 1991

In B. subtilis, $\alpha$-amylase synthesis is regulated by amyR located directly on the upstream of amyE. Three different amyR alleles have been reported, amyR1, amyR2 and amyR3. Strains bearing the gra-10 mutation which confers derepression for catabolite repression has GlongrightarrowA transition mutation at ＋5 of amyR1. S1 nuclease mapping demonstrated that transcription initiated at 8 bases downstream from the -10 region of putative E$\sigma^{A}$ promoter P1 in amyR1 and gra-10. In amyR2, the major transcription initiatd at the same place and the minor, 10 bases downstream from -10 of P2. The transcript from P2 contributed approximately 15-20% of total amyE mRNA. S1 nuclease protection experiment indicated that amyE mRNA levels corresponded to the rate of synthesis assumed by specific activities of $\alpha$-amylase in culture supernatants, suggesting that $\alpha$-amylase synthesis is regulated at the level of transcription.n.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.315-318
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• 2006

Three Synechococcus strains were isolated from seawater near the Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS), and their 16S rDNA genes and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes were sequenced to investigate their phylogenetic relationships. Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rDNA and ITS sequences showed that they clustered in the main MC-A Synechococcus group (subcluster 5.1), but formed branches differentiating them from the described clades. As the IORS is located in an area affected by diverse water masses, high Synechococcus diversity is expected in the area. Therefore, the IORS might be a good site to study the diversity, physiology, and distribution of the Synechococcus group.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2004

Phylogenetic relationships were analyzed among bumblebees using a portion of mitochondrial (mt) 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA). Eight species of true bumblebees and one species of cuckoo bumblebee (Bombini, Apidae), collected from Korea were included in the analysis. Also, one species of true bumblebee imported from several foreign countries for pollination was included. The length of mt 16S rRNA sequence ranged from 496 bp to 508 bp and sequence divergence ranged from 1.4％ (7 bp) to 15.49％ (77bp). As expected, a high A＋T content was observed (78.5％ on average). According to the phylogeny tree derived from parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis, a monphyletic Bombus species, excluding a single cuckoo bumblebee, Psithyrus coreanus, was obtained, but the bootstrap estimate at the node supporting the monophyletic group was very weak (40％ or 46％), suggesting a very close relationship of the cuckoo bumblebee to the true bumblebee. Within Bombus species belonging to identical subgenera subgeneric specific clustering was formed with high bootstrap values, implying validity of the subgeneric names of each species: Pyrobombus for B. ardens and B. modeatus; Megabombus for B. consobrinus wittenburgi and B. koreanus; and Bombus s. str. for B. ignitus, B. hypocrita sapporoensis, and B. terrestris.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2000

The sweetpotato whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci(Gennadius), were found recently in Korea on Glycine max, Euphorbia pulcherrima, and Rosa hybrida. The biotype identity of Bemisia tabaci in Korea was determined by several DNA markers including the random amplified polymorphic DNAs, and restriction fragments length polymorphism of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes. The electromorph profiles of DNA fragments from the rose(Jincheon) and poinsettia(Seoul) populations in Korea are both identical to those of B biotypes distributed in Australia, Israel, and Japan. The populations of B. tabaci collected on Glycine max, Ipomea batatas, and Perilla frutescens in different localities retained the same DNA markes with the population from Lonicera japonica and shikoku of Japan. These populations are non-B biotype and considered as an indigenous type in the Far Eastern Asia Region including Korea and Japan, Morphological Characteristics of B. Tabaci were also observed by the scanning electron microscope and described with the comparison to the other important whitefly pest, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood).

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.408-414
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• 2012

To reexamine taxonomic status of endemic Mogera wogura coreana from Korea, we first obtained partial 12S rRNA sequences (893 bp) and complete cytochrome b gene sequences (1140 bp) of this subspecies, and these sequences and partial cytochrome b sequences (402 bp) were compared to the corresponding haplotypes of M. wogura from East Asia, obtained from GenBank. The one of three 12S rRNA haplotypes in M. w. coreana was identical to one 12S rRNA haplotype of M. w. robusta from East Asia: 10 complete and 13 partial cytochrome b haplotypes of M. w. coreana formed a single clade with one complete and four partial cytochrome b haplotypes of M. w. robusta, respectively. We considered that M. w. coreana from Korea is an endemic subspecies with only morphological differences, although it is necessary to reexamine the subspecies status of M. w. coreana. Additionally, in the 12S rRNA and complete cytochrome b sequences, M. wogura from Japan was distinct from the two continental subspecies of M. w. coreana and M. w. robusta with average distances of 1.76 and 5.65%, respectively; insular M. wogura, with within-group distances of 2.09 and 4.38%, respectively, was also genetically more divergent than the mainland M. wogura, with within-group distances of 0.08 and 0.57%, respectively. Thus, we considered that insular M. wogura of Japan dispersed into neighboring East Asian continent, which is opposite to the traditional hypothesis on the origin of Japanese M. wogura.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.379-385
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• 2019

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise various RNA species, including small ncRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs). ncRNAs regulate various cellular processes, including transcription and translation of target messenger RNAs. Recent studies also indicate that ncRNAs affect organismal aging and conversely aging influences ncRNA levels. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the roles of ncRNAs in aging and longevity, focusing on recent advances using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Expression of various ncRNAs, including microRNA (miRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and lncRNA, is altered during aging in C. elegans. Genetic modulation of specific ncRNAs affects longevity and aging rates by modulating established aging-regulating protein factors. Because many aging-regulating mechanisms in C. elegans are evolutionarily conserved, these studies will provide key information regarding how ncRNAs modulate aging and lifespan in complex organisms, including mammals.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and are biomarkers for coronary atherosclerosis (AS). A novel miRNA-mRNA regulation network of coronary AS still needs to be disclosed. The aim of this study was to analyze potential mRNAs in coronary AS patients and the role of their upstream miR-491-5p in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We first confirmed top ten mRNAs according to the analysis from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE132651) and examined the expression levels of them in the plaques and serum from AS patients. Five mRNAs (UBE2G2, SLC16A3, POLR2C, PNO1, and AMDHD2) presented significantly abnormal expression in both plaques and serum from AS patients, compared with that in the control groups. Subsequently, they were predicted to be targeted by 11 miRNAs by bioinformatics analysis. Among all the potential upstream miRNAs, only miR-491-5p was abnormally expressed in the plaques and serum from AS patients. Notably, miR-491-5p overexpression inhibited viability and migration, and significantly increased the expression of contractile markers (α-SMA, calponin, SM22α, and smoothelin) in VSMCs. While silencing miR-491-5p promoted viability and migration, and significantly suppressed the expression of α-SMA, calponin, SM22α, and smoothelin. Overall, miR-491-5p targeted UBE2G2, SLC16A3, and PNO1 and regulated the dysfunctions in VSMCs.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.295-301
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• 1999

The nucleotide sequence of a 447 base pair fragment in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and the complete sequence of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene, 938 bp, were analyzed to infer inter- and intraspecific genetic relationships of Hyla japonica and H. suweonensis from Korea and H, japonica from Japan. In the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, genetic differentiation among H. japonica populations were 9.62% and 15.66% between H. japonica and H. suweonensis. Based on the Tamura-Nei distance, the level of sequence divergence ranged from 0.45% to 2.75% within Korean H. japonica, while 8.31%-8.87% between Korean and Japanese H. japonica and 11.51%-12.46% between H. japonica and H. suweonensis. In the neigh-bor-joining tree, Korean populations of H. japonica were clustered first at 2.22% and followed by Japanese H. japonica and H. suweonensis at 8.51% and 12.29%, respectively. In mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, genetic differentiation between H. japonica and H. suweonensis nras 7.17% (68 bp) including 7 gaps. Based on Tamura-Nei distance, the level of sequence divergence ranged 3.53% between Korean and Japanese H. japonica and from 4.93% to 5.41% between H. japonica and H. suweonensis. Phenogram pattern of the 12S rRNA gene sequence corresponded with that of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.